Crisis of Ivory
by Dark Maelstrom
Summary: Sonic and the other heroes have defeated evil every time. But when a war from the world's tragic genesis creates the deadliest forces they have faced, Sonic will have to accept his destiny and not only balance the world but defeat a vengeful ancient god.
1. Emerging Order

**Sonic Blitz: Order to Chaos**

A/N: Some of you probably thought I gave up here and moved on since high school started for me, or some may have thought that this being posted up meant I gave up on yet another idea. But what really happened was two things. One, as some of you may not know, my parents have banned me from the site since my novel project got into full swing. I'm sneaking on for this last story, but I may not be able to update often due to this. They also banned me for a big reason, but only those close to me here will know about it for privacy reasons. Two, my computer completely lose all of its data in a huge crash, resulting in me losing everything on my current series, and God knows I wasn't writing that up again.

So I decided just to do this one last project before my 2 year anniversary when I plan to leave this wonderful place. It's gonna have loads of action, but unlike my other stories where action was mainly prominent my writing style has evolved so it will also have romance, tragedy, comedy, and more. So without further ado here's my greatest Dark Maelstrom project yet, Order to Chaos.

Chapter 1: Emerging Order

**Location: Tails' Workshop**

"Focus Sonic, focus," a deep and calm voice ordered.

"I'm trying, I'm trying," Sonic gritted, holding the jade chaos emerald in his hands. Waves of expanding energy released from the emerald and Sonic, who was surrounded by the green aura. He breathe in and out as calmly as he could despite the powerful energies around him threatening to spiral out of his control. "You're the Ultimate Life Form; for everyone else this is a hell of a lot harder."

"That's true, but Knuckles can do it, and truth be told you have just as much potential if not more than him. After all, you achieved the Super form way before the rest of us did, even me," the ebony furred and crimson streaked hedgehog responded. "Just focus, allow your chaos energies to flow in and become one with the emerald's."

"Alright," was all Sonic said before closing his eyes and controlling his slow breathing, the two energies becoming a rhythm that slowly synchronized.

The energies began to flow within one another, and Sonic could finally feel them becoming one, despite their turbulent state. It seemed as if he would finally get it. But then, all of a sudden visions of white and black flames shot through his mind, causing him to yell out without realizing it. He saw visions of destruction, chaos, and slaughter in a flash that lasted less than second, and he felt as if his body was being burned alive the core of the sun. And then all at once it faded, only leaving behind the lingering fatigue and agony of his vision.

The energy exploded and sent Sonic flying backwards in a heap, tumbling across the ground before he hit a rock that jutted out of the rocky flat below him. Shadow grabbed the chaos emerald from him and walked past without sparing him a passing glance.

"You're getting better at this," Shadow admitted. "A few more practices and you'll be okay enough in controlling chaos energy so that you'll be able to use it in combat...at least at an average level."

Sonic thought about what he saw and was going to tell Shadow about it, but he realized it was probably a figment of his imagination. By the time he got up again all he saw was a bright flash of light green-Shadow was already gone.

"See you too Shadow," Sonic commented sarcastically before looking towards a cavern in the mountains.

He raced for it at supersonic speeds, going through the twisting caverns before emerging at a small pond like water area in the middle of the caves, with an opening at the top which peered up into the vibrant and calm evening sky. Smirking, he held out his hand and concentrated as streams of blue energy all concentrated to a single point within his grasp. All the way back at the workshop, the soft tremors and bursts of azure flying up into the sky from Sonic's hidden training could still be witnessed.

Amy looked at the bursts of blue calmly with a smile on her face as she sat on the rocks by the water, knowing what Sonic was doing. She was actually quite shocked by his decision earlier on in the day. When she finally gathered the courage to ask him on a date, for the first time he said yes without hesitation. She didn't know what decisions he made, or why he suddenly took a real interest in her, but the smile on her face couldn't possibly wear off. Tomorrow would be her first real date with Sonic, and nothing could ruin her mood.

"Except for one thing..." Amy murmured softly. As she turned back towards the ocean she opened a letter she had previously hidden in her quills and opened it, reading over the contents inside once again with a worried and slightly sad glance.

_Hey Ames, how's it going? I know it's been a long time since you heard from me, and I can understand that you may feel some anger towards me. But there were things I had to do for everyone's good, and I will see you soon. But be sure that when I come there is protection, as there are powerful forces that want me dead. But I won't let that happen. I have to see you again and protect you, no matter what. So hang on-I'll be there in no time._

_-Gemini_

"Brother...what did you really get yourself into?" Amy questioned, staring at the sunset.

As the sun finally faded behind the horizon, she wondered if the dying light represented her hope to see him again. The message he sent was from a week ago; how long did it take a man with his riches to get to Mystic Ruins? As she got up spots of a darker shade appeared all over the bottom of her dress and her legs due to the spray of the water, and she put the letter back into her quills before leaping back onto solid land and heading back up to the workshop.

She would have to put her worries behind her for now. She just had to fake a smile to her friends and wait for tomorrow. After all, she has been waiting years for what was coming tomorrow, and she couldn't let anything get in the way of it.

If only she knew what her dear brother Gemini was truly going through.

* * *

**Location: Angel Island**

Knuckles didn't even know what happened. He was sitting there with Rouge on the stairs of the Master Emerald altar, thew two joking about which one of them deserved the emerald more. Their relationship began to evolve greatly over the last few months of complete peace since the Dark Gaia incident. It was no longer a heated rivalry but more of a normal friendship...well, at least as normal of a friendship as these two heroes could possibly achieve.

But then, as they were sitting there, Knuckles suddenly felt a powerful presence wash over him, and he could tell that Rouge could feel it as well. The air rippled with chaos energy and force itself upon the whole altar, causing it to vibrate. When it was finally done waves of pure cyan chaos washed over the area, and from where it originated right next to the Master Emerald was the God of Destruction and the Guardian of Chao, Chaos. His liquid water like form stood tense and ready for battle, his bright emerald eyes glowing with power.

"Whoa...what on earth is he doing here?" Rouge questioned, standing up in an instant.

"I don't know, but he's usually here when great threats of destruction arise or when the chao are in danger. But why now? There's nothing here with higher chaos energy than me, you, or him," Knuckles questioned.

_There is, but you can't sense it,_ Chaos' booming voice echoed in the two treasure hunters' heads. _We're not alone. There's something coming._

"What are you talking about? I can't sense a thing," Knuckles was about to say, but then he peered into the forest, and found a figure staring at him through the trees.

It was still daylight due to the height of the echidna's last traces of civilization, and though nothing about the figure could be seen besides the fact that was clad in some sort of hooded robe. The figure stood on one of the tree branches within the darkness and shadows, peering down at the shrine in the middle of the valley. Knuckles and Rouge also moved into fighting positions, but despite the threat the figure just stood there, looking at the group and the area with interest before settling his gaze on the Master Emerald.

"What do you want?" Knuckles asked angrily. "Show yourself!"

"He doesn't have to," Chaos said plainly. "I'll finish him anyhow."

Knuckles looked at Chaos with interest, who began to move his hands in rapid, unpredictable movement in the air in front of him. Waves of powerful chaos energy began to form in the air around him seen as specks of light blue, and then water began to form out of the very moisture in the air. Chaos then held his long arms in a cross as the water collected into large pressurized mass before unleashing the water in a loose, spiraling drill of powerful force. The mass rushed into the tress and exploded, sending a powerful spray of water everywhere.

The tress shook and the wind blew, and the cloud of dust shot up into the air. When it finally died down the trees were destroyed and the leaves fell through the air unceremoniously. The entire area was destroyed, but the figure was gone-not a single trace left behind. The three relaxed, and Chaos released the concentrated energy that he summoned to his will.

"Did you get him?" Knuckles asked.

"That was some serious damage," Rouge nodded.

_He got away,_ Chaos communicated with regret. _But this isn't over yet. The Master Emerald has been feeling many disturbances over the past few months, and I think this figure is connected. He will be back._

"What can we do next time?" Rouge wondered. "If the figure was able to avoid your attack without a trace, then if there's more disturbances like him how will we stand a chance and protect the Master Emerald?"

_I will join you and we need to go and help your hero allies,_ Chaos commanded. _Something is coming and it's not just a threat to the chao. It could be a threat to much more than you can imagine._

"Finally, there's an adventure!" Knuckles exclaimed. "Eggman pretty much disappeared off the map since the whole Dark Gaia thing, and we really do need something to happen around here."

_It is true, but beware of the challenge ahead,_ Chaos advised, holding his hand out to the Master Emerald as it shrunk to the size of a Chaos Emerald and floated into Knuckles' quills. _I have a feeling that this threat will be far greater from the others. Take the Master Emerald with you, if we're traveling with your friends it will still be easy to safeguard it._

"Got it. We're ready," Rouge confirmed.

Chaos merely nodded and called upon the powers of chaos bestowed within his god like being. And with a subconsciously guided Chaos Control they vanished in a flash of green light and shot through time and space to their destination.

* * *

**Location: Green Forest**

The hooded figure walked through the mutated, corrupted undergrowth of the Green Forest. The island was left ravaged after Shadow, Rouge, and Eggman blew it up so long ago, only leaving behind malfunctioning robots that destroyed anything in their path, regardless of alliance. The light from the full moon above shined down through the toxic spores that hung over the area like a barrier to the outside world. The hooded figure dashed through the sickly yellow trees, weaving his through the plant life. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he ran off the edge of the clearing and descended into the forest below, maneuvering out of the way for the rivers of molten waste.

The cloaked being rolled to absorb the shock of the fall and continued running, but before he go much further fatigue caught up to him and he eventually slowed to a halt within a clear were there were less of the abnormally pale yellow trees. The figure's cloak was almost completely white, save for the black bolts that ran across the limbs and down the middle, ending in rims full of the same black bolts. The hood was also outlined with the black as well, and though the moonlight should have revealed some of the figure's face, at least the eyes, the face within the hood was incredibly dark, as if some other force was keeping the identity concealed. He also had on white gloves and boots with black cuffs and lines going down them.

"She's not much farther," the cloaked figure told himself in a slightly tense voice. "Just a little more, and I'll be with people who will keep me safe."

The cloaked figure continued to breathe in sharply, as if he had running for hours. He leaned up against the tree for a while and looked up at the bright moon. Despite this light his face was still not revealed, and his hood defied the laws of gravity by not falling off. He sat there until his breathing became regular before standing up completely and continuing to walk. But before he could get far a hot white portal with a black outline appeared behind him and a figure with the exact same attire as him stepped out-he was a just a big taller and bulkier and had two white sheaths in a diagonal cross strapped to his back.

"So this is really what you want?" the other figure questioned, almost in an angry tone. "You want to lose everything you joined for, all of your friends, just for her?"

"You wouldn't understand," the figure argued. "How did you find me, anyway?"

"It's hard not to find you-have you forgotten how long we've been friends, Gemini?" the other figure snapped back angrily. "Everyone thinks no one else understand what they're thinking-their own brand of justice. It's pathetic and sickening. I hate it."

"You saw what they did to her, Aersus!" Gemini yelled angrily. "And yet you still stand by them! You know its wrong! You have no right to talk about the terms of justice with ME!"

"She was just one of them-even He said that she served only a temporary purpose," Aersus argued. "You knew that from the beginning. Do you even realize what they will do to you if you leave now? They will hunt you with all of their forces to the ends of the Earth and kill you dead."

"No one there would miss me," Gemini snapped back. "The only two people that would aren't in Ragnarok. One is the exact opposite of what you guys are now. And the other you helped to kill!"

"Shut up!" Aersus shouted, pulling off his hood. Waves of chaos energy shot through the air from him as his presence was revealed. Light blue fur covered the jackal's face, with small streaks of white fur surrounding his eyes, mouth, cheeks, and ears. "I hate you...I hate you so much! What do you even care about anymore?"

"Do your job, Aersus," Gemini said, this time more calmly as he took off his hood. Deep rosy fur covered his face, while jet black flame like pieces of fur went all across his face randomly. He had a very pale muzzle, a short nose, and gold sunglass that he had placed on his forehead and away from his eyes, which were a sharp amber. "You were sent here to kill me, so do it."

"You could turn back now, Gemini," Aersus said weakly. "You could easily pull off an excuse and go right back. If you don't and defect to these other people you know, there will be no return."

"Fight," Gemini said flatly. His point was made.

Aersus hesitated, but as Gemini leaped at him he put both hands back and pulled both large swords out of their sheaths, revealing long and elegant golden swords that had a sharp side but appeared to be more for crushing that cutting due to their unique inwardly curved shape. A semi circle flat side laid where the point would be on a regular sword, a green sphere sitting in the middle of each semi circle. Both swords had white guard and hilts to match the sheaths, and were of impressive size, each almost as long and him and about half as big.

"You're going to regret this, Gemini," Aersus said quietly to himself as Gemini was within a few feet of him. He spun around quickly with both swords out, lashing out with a powerful shock wave that blasted out like a ring from him. "You're wrong. Three people would miss you and one would be from Ragnarok. I would."

The echo of the clash could be heard across the forest. The battle had begun.

_To Be Continued..._


	2. Web of Intentions

**Sonic Blitz: Order to Chaos**

Chapter 2: Web of Intentions

**Location: Green Forest**

Gemini flipped back twice as invisible bolts of kinetic force flew past his head, punching holes straight through the sickly yellow trees behind him. The hedgehog raced forward while zipping from side to side to avoid more bolts, but was suddenly thrown back as one of the bolts smacked into him at full force. Gemini flipped and skidded back as his golden sunglasses fell to the ground, cracking against the ground.

"Shit, look what you did to my glasses," Gemini muttered.

An unusual black energy gathered around his form and as the last bolt flew at him from the tip of Aersus' sword he punched right through it, its remains rolling around him. The dust from the clash kicked up and Gemini used it as a surprise, shooting from the darkness with black energy collected around his foot for a kick to the face. The jackal narrowed his eyes and crossed his blunt blades in front of him. An invisible shield formed around him and the moment Gemini hit it all of his movement ceased, just so that Aersus could smash down with his blade upon him.

"Is this what you want?" Aersus demanded, the cool water like color of his eyes boiling with hatred. "I can't believe this is what you want!"

"Ugh...it sucks to be on the opposite end of your power," Gemini groaned painfully. Every bone in his way felt like it was rattling.

A crater formed as Gemini sunk into the ground, holding back the immense pressure from the kinetic force of the blade with his arms encircled by more of the same mysterious energy. The hedgehog seemed to loosen up a little as the distance between the sword and Gemini's arms through the dark energy closed. But it was all a distraction as Gemini slipped from under and rolled to the right as the weapon crashed into the ground and split it apart. Aersus grew angry, letting out a roar of fury as he swiped out with his swords in every direction. But the rosy hedgehog evaded them all before leaping up in the air and and snapping his leg across Aersus' face.

"You underestimate me, Aersus," Gemini said calmly, but almost with regret. "This can't be all you got."

"I really don't want to fight you like this," Aersus whispered. "But I guess I have no option."

The jackal stumbled back before spinning around quickly with his blades towards his former friend. Gemini simply cartwheeled through the air with impressive agility just to kick off of the attack to push himself farther away. Aersus stopped spinning like a top with the ground ripped up in rings around him, leering at Gemini coldly.

"You ask me if this is all I have, yet you aren't showing everything you have," Aersus retorted. "Where's that other body of yours? When are you gonna make this a challenge and let him out?"

"That's good question, with a very good answer. I already did," Gemini said, and though one would think he would be satisfied, he looked even more sad than before. Suddenly an exact replica of Gemini, straight down to the exact hairs appeared behind Aersus at his blind spot, waves of darkness rolling off of him. "Dark Comet!"

The only thing that could be seen was an explosion of what appeared to be black light and then the rolling of dangerously fast winds. When it died down Gemini put his hood back on and walked away slowly, allowing the abyss to shroud his entire identity once more.

"The next time we meet, I may have to kill you," Gemini said before continuing to walk through the sickly trees around him. "It didn't have to be this way Aersus, and you know it."

And then he was on the run. Before Aersus could get the strength to get back up his former ally was gone, moving as fast as he could towards Amy, his only salvation.

* * *

**Location: Tails' Workshop**

"Crap!" Sonic said to himself before flipping back across the ground.

A wave of Chaos spears tore up the ground below him, the yellow projectiles arcing through the air towards him. As the barrage stopped Sonic slowed down and moved to boost towards Shadow, but he wasn't there. The ultimate life suddenly appeared behind him with two spheric bolts of red chaos energy around his hands, only for Sonic to spin around and release a arcing gust of blue wind in retaliation. The Sonic Wind and Chaos Nightmare impacted against each other and destroyed each other's power in a fiery explosion.

"I was being nice to you before when we were practicing child's play but now we're in battle!" Shadow called out, no mercy being show in his burning ambitious glare. "If you can't step up then you will die!"

The black hedgehog spun around and unleashed a barrage of kicks followed by a Chaos Lance, but Sonic dodged them all before delivering an Axe Kick which knocked the chaos master back down to the ground and then back up into the air. The blue hedgehog smirked and brought around a powerful punch with a Sonic Wind concentrated around it. The black hedgehog narrowed his eyes and vanished in a drowning flash of ruby, the attack just phasing through the air left behind.

_I need to think!_ Sonic thought to himself. _I need a strategy to beat him, but that technique isn't perfected yet. Where did he go, anyway?_

"Were you looking for me?" Shadow's voice called out, and suddenly Sonic felt a deep impact in his back as multiple Chaos Spears exploded against his back.

The world famous hero shot down like a bullet into the ground where he made a large impact. Before he could move Shadow's hands suddenly wrapped around his chest and restrained him-his speed wouldn't get him anywhere. He couldn't look all the way around but he still could tell that Shadow was gleaming with red chaos energy, waves of crimson rolling off of him-he was fully prepped up for one of his deadliest attacks, the Chaos Blast. The azure anthro decided he only had one real option ad began concentrating heavy amounts of blue wind into a light shell shaped liked a sphere all made out of blue chaos energy.

The wind seemed to spin around Sonic due to the force of the attack and Shadow was shocked at the force of it, as he never felt anything like it except from someone built to use chaos energy so powerfully like, himself, Knuckles, or Chaos. As it got stronger, Shadow chose not to take the risk of waiting it out and tossed Sonic up into the air before letting loose with his Chaos Blast which hit Sonic along the outside of the blast. Despite the fact he was holding back the energy still burned through every part of Sonic and he could feel the fiery force of it-he wanted to scream out.

When it finally stopped Sonic was lying at the edge of a large steaming crater with Shadow standing [panting in the center of it. After a few moments he collected himself and headed away from the waterfall like area and under the bridge towards the workshop without even looking back to see if Sonic was okay just like the day before.

"Your strategies, hand to hand combat, and chaos energy control is above average, but your problem lies in combining it all together and unless you learn to put it all together it becomes pointless to even teach you this in the first place," Shadow snapped. "There are powerful forces out there and they won't hesitate to destroy you. I don't care for your safety but you do mean a lot towards the protection of the world and so I have to care."

Sonic didn't say anything. By the time he got up and walked away from the impact Shadow was already gone, the doors of the workshop still swinging behind him. The speedy hero wondered what he meant by that but he decided not to question and just take things as they are. He made sure he was in good shape and wiped the dust off of his leg fur before shooting in a streak of cyan back to the workshop-it was time to take a well deserved break. His secret training would be for later.

"Hey Tails!" Sonic said as he walked into the workshop. The yellow fox was bent over one of the tables, a cannon like object hovering over it as he welded parts of it together. "How's it going?"

"I have an all new model for the Energy Cannon, it's a lot stronger than you would imagine it to be in comparison to before," Tails explained. "I might just be able to destroy any of Eggman's roots once he decides to show up again. He's has to be working on something big, you know?"

"Guess so, but maybe the old egghead decided to lay low for once, you know?" Sonic questioned. "I mean, he has Eggmanland."

"That's probably not enough for him," Tails chuckled. "He'll definitely be back soon, and I'll be ready."

"Sounds good," Sonic said. "Where's Shadow?"

"He's upstairs resting," Tails said. "Why? How did the training go?"

"I have no idea. Sometimes I'm doing amazing, and then sometimes I'm not. I can't control all of this chaos energy while bouncing back and forth in the middle of a fight against someone like him. I have no idea how Shadow does it," Sonic said. "It was kind of weird, he acted like there was something big that he knew was coming and that this training was something big. Or maybe he was just going hard on me, I'm not sure."

"Well maybe you should rest," Tails said. "I mean, you've really exhausted yourself."

"That's true," Sonic admitted, walking past Tails and out of the Workshop to the rest of his house. "I'm gonna go take a breather."

The hedgehog zipped down the stairs, through the hallway, and through the kitchen before he plopped down onto Tails' couch. All of a sudden the exhaustion and fatigue of his training caught up to him, and in instants he fell into a deep slumber.

_As he slept he continued to see the images of a rosy hedgehog with black markings all over his body, fighting off a group of mysterious white beasts with black symbols on their bodies. Sonic suddenly felt an impulsive sadness towards him, as if he endured something Sonic couldn't imagine. Every time one of the beasts fell he shed a tear and continued on to the next, eventually walking away from the carnage and putting his hood back on. That's when Sonic realized that the teenager was wearing a white coat with black markings that seemed to look eerily like the bodies of the beasts he had defeated._

"Sonic...Sonic...wake...up...please..."

"What's going on?" Sonic asked as the darkness of his slumber gave way to the light above.

Tails shook him awake and did not say a word, his face almost completely pale. The blue hedgehog was about to ask what the problem was, but he merely pointed to the Workshop. Sonic got up and walked back to the workshop slowly, afraid of what was on the other side. But finally he gained the courage and stepped through, Tails following slowly behind him.

"What is he...doing here?" Sonic questioned.

Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, and Rouge stood there, their faces solemn. And behind them stood the God of Destruction, Chaos. The liquefied mass of chaos that was his earthly form stood tall, his presence washing over the area. And when he showed up in such a way that brought Knuckles and Rouge with him too, whatever news of destruction he had to bring wasn't good.

_There is something to come soon Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles Prower, and you must be ready,_ Chaos spoke into their minds. _I must convey to you to you the severity of the situation at hand._

"Oh boy," Sonic muttered. "Maybe fixing up your Energy Cannon was a good idea Tails."

* * *

"Wait, so that's what the disturbances are?" Tails asked, now much more calm than before.

The group of heroes sat in Tails' living room as Chaos explained the situation. All of them had grim looks on their faces, as it was clear this was going to be much more than just one of Eggman's attempts.

_Precisely,_ Chaos nodded. _The disturbances over this time have all been because of whatever is happening. I can't pinpoint what it is, but that figure I told you people that the figure we witnessed observing the Master Emerald may be a part of this._

"We can't jump to conclusions," Shadow advised, though something in his voice sounded off. "These disturbances could just be natural fluxes in the universal chaos energy. The essences of chaos is unpredictable in most cases, after all."

"Shadow's right," Rouge nodded. "GUN records them all the time, and nothing seemed off about these latest ones."

"But there was that figure with the black and white cloak," Knuckles countered. "The moment he showed up, the Master Emerald's power suddenly flared out. That could explain all of the other ones, too."

"Wait, I just dreamed about something like this!" Sonic exclaimed. "There were these weird shifting black and white beasts, and someone in a black and white coat was fighting them somewhere in Casino City. But it looked like they were on the same side from the way they dressed, so why were they fighting each other?"

Amy suddenly looked away, trying to wipe the guilt from her face. She knew exactly what he saw, however impossible it was. By the time Tails noticed her trying to avoid eye contact she already collected herself, giving a half hearted reassuring smile to play it a bit more safe. Tails had a bad feeling as to what that sudden moment of weakness meant, but to Amy's relief he ignored it and turned back towards Chaos.

_I do not even know know how you could have precognitive dreams Sonic the Hedgehog. But there has always been something peculiar about you,_ Chaos told him through thought. _We must take action against these figures. If they're the ones causing these disturbances then it just can't be good._

"We're going to have to search these disturbances then, right?" Sonic said. "Knuckles can guide us there and then we can kick butt!"

_I have to go back into the Master Emerald,_ Chaos explained. _Unless these are of much greater and higher powers then these are not my affairs and I should stay inside the Master Emerald to help shield the sensitive chao from these disturbances._

"Wait!" Knuckles shouted, but Chaos form already absorbed itself through the Master's Emerald's surface in a vortex of green. "Thanks for waiting, I appreciate it."

"Rouge and I are going to head to GUN HQ and let them know what's going on and to help participate in the effort," Shadow decided in a heartbeat jumping to his feet without caring to give a second look to anyone else there. "Let's hope you can handle it with the meager training I've given you so far Sonic. Don't screw up and you'll have to face me, for real."

In an instant he warped himself and Rouge away, leaving Sonic, Tails, Amy, and Knuckles.

"This is just like the old days, isn't it?" Sonic realized.

"Don't get all nostalgic on me," Knuckles retorted gruffly. "Tomorrow we'll all meet here and get started.

"I have the equipment, so we'll be prepared by then," Tails told them. "At noon we set out, just like we've always done!"

And with that Knuckles and Sonic went out to explore, the blue hedgehog being too fearful of his dreams to go back to them at the moment. Tails went back into the Workshop while Amy sat staring at the television, thinking of her approaching brother and all the madness he could possibly bring.

Was it all worth it? Of course it was. But she would need to be prepared, and so she set out to train.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

Aersus woke up, only to find himself in a large, white dome like room. Light seemed to flood through its translucent surface and drown the whole area in it, and as he slowly got to his feet, sheathing his swords, another figure with the same cloak stood over him, darkness permeating the space within his hood.

"You're finally awake. Gemini took you by surprise there, didn't he?" the figure chuckled, his icy blue tail swaying out behind him. "Nightmare doesn't want you on the mission anymore, he says you're too emotionally tied. He put Terra to replace you."

"I...I just need to rest now Frost," Aersus said raggedly, walking. "Everything is just becoming too much. Tell Nightmare I have no objections to that."

"Very well then," Frost said, turning towards him as he walked away and into the darkness beyond . "But you know, you're going to have to let go of her at some time."

_I just can't let go of Virgo. I'm sorry._ And with that he was gone.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: Intense, I know, some answers, but more questions, and the adventure kicks off. Leave a review, spread the news about this great project, and hang tight for the next chapter, coming at you sometime next week!


	3. Vague Storms

**Sonic Blitz: Order to Chaos**

Chapter 3: Vague Storms

**Location: Shamar**

"I can't pinpoint the disturbance yet," Knuckles stated.

"Neither can I," Sonic said. "You sure the disturbance is in this part of the city, Tails?"

The four heroes raced across the city, the hedgehog zooming through the streets while a dust trail wrapped around the blue streak behind him. Knuckles used his gliding from the sandy rooftops, a constant jade aura radiating from him as he tried to detect the emerald. On the other side of the city Tail flew high above the city with a new cerulean mechanical ring wrapped around his wrist, and Amy followed below by leaping from rooftop to rooftop with propulsion from her large trusty Piko-Piko Hammer.

All four of them were determined to figure out what's going on, though Amy had her own motives. If she could somehow figure out the relationship between these disturbances and whatever is after Gemini then she could find a way to help him. She just couldn't bear the thought of her brother, her last living family member dying, and especially at the hands of something so powerful even Chaos has shown fear towards it.

"I'm sure its around here somewhere," Tails said over his communicator as Knuckles and Sonic moved across their side of the city. "You might not detect it at first, but eventually it'll show up."

"Well it better show up soon," Amy grumbled into their eyes over the communicator. "I have a date with Sonic, and I refuse to let it go another day."

"Sorry about that Ames, really," Sonic apologized. "The training Shadow's been putting me through is real hard, and I really want to not be so exhausted, you know?"

"Of course Sonic!" Amy grinned, "Talk to you in a bit!"

And then she cut off the communication. Knuckles flew down closer to Sonic and began running behind him, but not directly so he wouldn't get caught in Sonic's large trail from his speed. The two sped through the square and down a large and busy multi direction street filled with markets, travelers, and many storage sand pots. The hedgehog slowed down a little to get through the people easily, much to the slower echidna's relief.

"Wait, are you really going out on a date with Amy this time?" Knuckles questioned.

"I dunno," Sonic shrugged as he turned away. But Knuckles could see the red on his cheeks and merely smirked.

The two continued walking through the bustling desert metropolis and towards the oasis circle that stood right before the plaza. Right as they passed through the pillars near the oasis and the layers of sand and dusty buildings turned into a vibrant garden enclosed by the sand like structures, a wave of chaos shot through Sonic's mind. He thought that it may be the disturbance, but something about it felt familiar and alive-and he wasn't familiar with these signals. The hedgehog stopped near the oasis and so did Knuckles.

"I sense something, but it doesn't feel like the signal you would be talking about Tails," Sonic said over the communicator. "Should we go after it?"

"I see what you're talking about over my tracker," Tails said back. "It's not one of the disturbances, but we'll meet up with you guys. Try to figure out what it is."

"Alright," Sonic said, cutting off the communication. "Let's move."

"No," Knuckles replied. "I feel it now...it's coming closer...really fast, almost like you..."

"There's only one person who could do that," Sonic said.

The blue hedgehog then looked up as something that could only be described as a pure lightning bolt of cyan came down. The azure hedgehog narrowed his eyes and flipped back in the nick of time as the ground shook and cracked under force of the lightning bolt. Sand and dust shot up into the air and swirled around the impact as a figure rose from it. Sonic moved a little closer and saw two piercing red eyes stare back at him, and then he worst fears were confirmed.

"I thought Eggman needed a vacation!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Not anymore," the robot said monotonously, though a hint of snideness could be heard.

Knuckles growled and launched forward, but then three shadows emerged in the air, and the one on the right sent a burst of flames toward Knuckles. The echidna leaped back and used his Shovel Claws to deflect the brilliantly hot flames away from him, sweat dripping down his face. When it stopped glass laid all around the two and the robotic figure emerged from the crater, standing tall.

"Hello, Sonic," Neo Metal Sonic greeted.

He was just like the model they saw right before they faced Metal Madness, with the long quills that shot up into the air, the red boots and long cape, the white stripes, and the much larger and streamlined white and navy blue armor. The robots that hovered above him all had the same yellow, orange, and red color scheme with pale light green eyes and the same humanoid base bodies with jet packs. But the one on the left has even larger wings in addition to the jet packs with large engine propellers, the one in the middle was more humanoid and had napalm launchers and flamethrowers instead of arms, while the one on the right had a much sturdier structure and many concentrated barrels, especially on its arms, chest, and shoulders. The three robots hovered behind Metal, patiently awaiting his orders as they loomed down upon the hero duo.

"Tell us why you're here!" Knuckles demanded. "And we'll try not to crush you into the ground too hard!"

"You know about the disturbances," Metal assumed. "The fox brat would have figured just a little after Eggman did. A figure clad in black and white attacked our base when a disturbance happened in Eggmanland. We're here to figure out what it is."

"No Master anymore for your creator?" Sonic smirked. "And we're her for the disturbance too. I would let you through, but whatever you want it can't be good."

"I would say you're being too confrontational," Metal responded. "But I planned to kill you if you showed up here anyway. Get ready, Sonic the Hedgehog. Metal Sync!"

The robotic anthro spread his claws wide as blue electricity began to circle his body, spreading through the air and tingling the heroes' fur. Citizens screamed as they realized what was happening, and some stayed a fair distance away but did not flee, eager to see what would happen. A wave of electricity with digital codes along them flew out of Metal's head, through his claws, and into the heads of the robots around him. The eyes of the E-Wind, E-Flame, and E-Laser suddenly glowed red around the rims and looked towards Metal.

"Now that we're all set, let's begin," Metal grinned.

Right after he said that the robot above him with the propellers suddenly activated them, sending two large cyclones at Sonic. The blue hedgehog smirked and used both Sonic Winds to repel the opposing cyclones, but the force of the attack sent by the E-Wind shocked him and sent him flying backwards into the air. Metal smirked and shot off towards him with a navy streak of electricity flowing behind him, the robots following as well. Knuckles roared out and slammed his fists into the other two, causing both to focus on him instead for the moment.

Sonic yelped out and twisted in the air to avoid Metal's lightning charged claw, which he then swiped multiple times at towards Sonic, who continued to dodge them. The blue hedgehog worried as Metal approached, for the distance between them was closing due to Metal's mechanical mass carrying him faster than Sonic's organic one. The two began to descend as Metal leaped down for the killing blow, and Sonic knew even spinning into a ball wouldn't protect him from the electricity. Just as Metal lunged forward the blue hedgehog found himself twisting over the side of one of the pillars in the plaza before twisting around it. Metal followed him eagerly, the heat of his electricity turning the sand his claw touched into multiple shards of glass.

"You can't escape me," Metal persuaded. "Let me finish this already."

"In your dreams, you bucket of scraps!" Sonic called out, the two sliding around the pillar as they moved closer and closer to the ground. "You think Eggman even values you anymore after you failed to usurp him?"

"You would be surprised how the fool would be willing to trust others in times of desperation," Metal retorted snidely, lighting his other claws with the same electricity. "And you, hedgehog, would be surprised as to how futile your resistance is."

"Really?" Sonic shouted before suddenly using a Sonic Boom to spin back up and towards Metal around the pillar. "Then take this!"

By the time Metal saw Sonic coming, he couldn't a thing about it. The hedgehog sent a devastating kick surrounded by streams of cerulean and cyan into Metal's face. The robot's whole body ruptured as he was sent flying back through the air and through multiple pillars. Metal managed to regain his balance as he bounced off the fallen pieces of the pillars as he spun in ball towards Sonic surrounded by electricity, but the blue hedgehog was ready. Summoning a Sonic Wind in an instant to his palm he slammed it into the razor sharp ball, and while his hand was torn to shreds he managed to daze Metal for the moment, and so he spun around and delivered a punch with a Sonic Wind within to Metal's cheek.

"How do you like that, you copy!" Sonic snapped slyly.

The machine's body rattled from the force before he shot through the air and into the side of the upper level of the oasis. Smoke rattled and Sonic grinned even wider from his impressive blow-but that was the least of his problems. Suddenly the E-Wind was hovering behind him, sending down bursts of cyclonic wind at the hedgehog. The blue hedgehog leaped from different pillars to avoid the bursts of wind, but then things only got worse. The E-Flame shot out a jet of flame which mixed in with another cyclone from the E-Wind, creating a massive inferno that raged through the area and melted everything in its path. Sonic and Knuckles were completely taken over by the strength of it and their silhouettes could no longer be seen.

"Those fools," Metal gloated as he leaped back down onto a long elevated platform of sand. "They stood no chance against the Fire Wind Fusion Attack, especially since my Metal Sync gave all of us one mind to work with. I could cover every angle. Eggman will be pleased with my efforts."

"Really?" Sonic said pridefully.

"We're not out of the count yet!" Knuckles barked back.

The smoke burst out from the blast radius and surrounded the entire area, obscuring much of the squad's view of the area. All four robots looked around helplessly to try and figure out where the two anthros were, but Metal could see Sonic charging for him in a flash. The intelligent robot caught Sonic's fist in his palm and shocked him with numerous voltages of powerful arcs. But the hedgehog weathered the pain and merely grinned as Knuckles soared over him and slammed his fist into the ground, sending three meteors out of the ground at the three robots.

The E-Flame and E-Laser destroyed theirs without trouble, but when the E-Wind destroyed its meteor Knuckles was behind it, slamming a powerful fist into the robot's head. In an instant the robot self destructed, leaving behind only those two. The smoke then cleared and Metal let go Sonic's hand, only to kick him in the face and sending him flying away.

"An impressive sacrifice of pain, I must say," Metal said. "But even with one of my mechs destroyed it is not enough to defeat me."

"Forget it!" Knuckles barked back. "You and Eggman will never win!"

"Believe what you will," Metal grinned. "But I still wonder, how did you manage to take him down?"

"It was real simple," Sonic smirked. "Even I knew that if you synced that it would be too hard for you to keep up your speed and power and control your little scraps over here."

"Incredible analysis," Metal complimented. "You've been training the mind as well as the body. But I was designed to be superior to you, and therefore your doom is inevitable!"

The robotic hedgehog shot forward like a bullet, both of his claws suddenly alight with electricity. Knuckles jumped in the way and reeled back his fist for a powerful punch. But as his fist split through the air on its path to him the E-Laser released a powerful ray of light which sent him flying back into the air. The echidna righted himself and bounced off of the wall to send a punch back but a wave of flames from the E-Flame blocked him off and forced him to land on a fallen pillar.

"You are nothing in the face of death!" Metal growled, swiping out with both claws towards Sonic.

"Whoa!" Sonic exclaimed, dodging his blows with incredible feats of flexibility.

The two hedgehogs were intertwined in a deadly dance, blue winds and electricity clashing off of each other and letting dazzling energy loose into the air. Metal attacked relentlessly, slashing out at every turn. While Sonic's blood did fly and his body began to feel numb from the shocks he was still standing a chance, dodging blows that others would be killed by and delivering powerful blows back.

But Sonic could only stay on the defensive for most of the fight, as they were still two different types of fighters. Metal was designed to kill. Every blow of his was instinctively packed with the power to cause painful yet quick and lethal damage, and Sonic's attacks could kill, but were better for taking down an enemy and stopping them. Just based off of that nature Metal had the advantage, as the volts of electricity shot through his body Sonic was all too aware of this.

"Spark Energy Field!" Metal called out as the two landed on the platform.

Suddenly a sphere like radius of electricity filled every point of the air around him, with Sonic caught in the middle. The azure furred hero summoned a Sonic Wind to both hands and pushed against the electricity, but it was futile as the blows came in from all sides. When it died down arcs of electricity were surrounding Metal's white and navy armor, while Sonic was burned and shocked for the moment, unable to move.

Before he could do anything Metal kicked him up into the air and laid low to the ground, summoning a powerful electric change into his hand. The mechanical creation glowered at Sonic with a sense of sick pride before shooting up at him with the Volt Strike, passing through the air at speeds rivaling sound itself. Sonic spun in the air to move out of the way, but suddenly screamed out in pain as the claws tore through the side of his abdomen. Blood spurted into the air and Sonic began to fall through the air in pain.

"Can you now see why I am superior?" Metal said. "Now Sonic the Hedgehog, meet your demise."

Metal dropped down on top of Sonic, but the hedgehog simply grinned. Flipping himself over to maneuver on top of Metal, he spun around with an Axe Kick, sending him down to the ground. The Neo formed robot controlled his descent and managed to land as he computers assessed the damage before sending the E-Flame and E-Laser mechs after him. Sonic skidded along a wall before pushing off of it as flames devoured the area above him, shards spraying down as he leaped out into the air. The blue hedgehog spun into a rolling form to get more height as lasers tore up the area around his form. He landed on a platform, but quickly jumped off as the arcing laser cut right through the pillar.

The blue hedgehog landed on the ground and found himself in a deadlock with Metal, neither opponent letting up. Metal tried to shock him, but Sonic repelled it with blue waves of wind.

"You must know about those figures," Metal said, "Tell me what you know!"

"You've seen them too?" Knuckles questioned, finding both mechs circling him.

"One of them infiltrated the entire base just to come after me, and then asked me to join them to replace a member that betrayed them," Metal explained. "When I didn't, they said I would regret it and then one of them managed to cause a landslide to rain down on the whole section of Eggmanland. Some of our robots have also seen them showing up with mysterious devices wherever there are disturbances within Eggmanland."

"Mysterious devices? But what on earth are they-" Sonic began to say.

"I don't know what they're doing!" Metal yelled back. "But you must know more than I do, because I need to know what to do if they come after me."

"Maybe they'll destroy you for us," Sonic said. "Either way, we don't know any more about this than you and Eggman do."

"I guess you really are useless to me," Metal said before nodding to his robots.

The E-Laser summoned a twisting laser that ensnared Knuckles while the E-Flame launched a rocket at both Sonic and Knuckles. It seemed to be the end for them as the seeking red and orange projectiles shot for them. In the nick of time however rapid fire bullets of energy tore the rockets to shreds and caused them explode harmlessly in the middle of the air while a pink hedgehog shot across the area and slammed her hammer into both robots, causing them to explode as well. Knuckles fell to the ground on one knee, panting heavily as Tails moved to help him up. Sonic pushed off of Metal and skidded back as all four heroes faced him.

"Ready to surrender?" Amy asked.

"You can't take us all," Tails reasoned.

"I suppose you are right for now. I could take most of you, but I do not desire to test the many anomalies in such an equation," Metal admitted. "Farewell, Spark Energy Field!"

A dome of electricity formed once again, and while it did not hit any of the heroes it caused them all to have to obscure their vision from the great light. A blur passed by the heroes and by the time they could all see again Metal was already gone. The heroes took a moment to rest, Sonic and Knuckles being the most exhausted out of the group.

"We couldn't find that disturbance," Sonic said. "Before we could search any more, Metal showed up. If he's afraid of these guys even with his Neo power then I really wonder what we're up against."

"We saw two figures moving across the rooftops, but they were going too fast and we could see that there was trouble where you guys were," Amy told them.

"Yeah...it's true...sorry about that," Tails apologized.

"It's cool bro," Sonic said tiredly, rubbing his head playfully. "We would've been done for without you, and we can get them next time. There's way more disturbances anyhow."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to search for more," Tails promised.

"Let's rest for now though," Amy said.

"I agree, let's get out of here," Sonic agreed. "Ready to get out of here with your new trick, Knuckles?"

"Oh yeah," the echidna grinned, calling upon the power of the Master Emerald as a green aura surrounded the group. "Chaos Control!"

And in a flash they were gone, leaving behind the shocked citizens of Shamar to figure out exactly what happened.

* * *

**Location: GUN Fortress**

Shadow and Rouge walked into the room through the sliding doors and sat down in two seats at the desk as the GUN Commander looked out the window, gazing out at the disappearing horizon. After a few minutes of pause he sat down at the desk on the opposite side, motioning for the two elite agents to speak.

"Sir, I have been watching Sonic and his friends closely, but I think they are beginning to see the full picture, especially his ally Miles "Tails" Prower," Shadow reported. "Rouge and I have done all that we can, but it seems they will eventually figure it out."

"It seems we have underestimated the boy," the GUN Commander sighed. "A mistake on our side, but a mistake we can still fix. Do what you can to halt any new discoveries, and be sure to keep Sonic training. We're going to need him if we are to save this world."

"Sounds good to me," Rouge said. "We can manipulate the other heroes to our liking, and I'll make sure to keep Tails in line. Shadow can take care of Sonic, cause I really don't feel like dealing with him. He's too free for me, anyhow."

"The training is coming along good, and Sonic is adjusting," Shadow said. "I'll have him ready when it is necessary to our goals."

"Good," the GUN Commander said. "You two seem to be my best agents, even when faced with having to deal with your own friends. Now that you have updated me on the situation, you are free to leave."

And with one last glance, Shadow and Rouge got up and left the room. As they walked through the hallways, Rouge looked unsure.

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Rouge asked. "What happens if they figure it out?"

"Don't worry, they won't," Shadow assured, "What we are doing here is what's good for everyone's fate, even if we have to inconvenience a small minority. It's for the good of the world."

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: It seems that certain loyalties are becoming very slim and that these enemies may be more powerful than they thought. Can the heroes stand up to them and see the whole picture clearly before things turn out very wrong for them? I will try to update TWICE before next Friday instead of my weekly updates for the Thanksgiving spirit, so be sure to look forward to that!


	4. First Assault Part One

**Sonic Blitz: Order to Chaos**

Chapter 4: The First Attack Part One

**Location: Casino City**

The head office of Casino Corp, which owned about half the world's casinos showed off its owner's wealth greatly. As the forest green fox clicked in a password on the side and the double doors opened the light's rooms automatically flickered on. The walls had large fish tanks with many exotic fish within and lit by cerulean and magenta lights. The clear glass windows that made up the entire had dim orange lights below them which gave the fox a large view of the city sixty nine stories below, lit up by neon lights. The night seemed to have a great hold over the city, the neon signs collectively being their own personal sun.

The green fox Alice looked out the window, thinking of memories from what seemed to be too long ago. She sat down at the desk for the moment and pushed aside the name tag which read _Gemini Rose the Hedgehog_ to get to the newspaper behind it. She tapped and pulled her way through the files on the screen before getting up to leave. As she did she grabbed some of the papers on the table and looked out the window one last time. When she turned around one of the black and white cloaked figures was walking towards her, the hood on.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Alice demanded, dropping her keys and files to the floor before moving into a fighting position.

"..."

"Gemini isn't here, and I'll die before giving you access to any his money," Alice glared, the black gauntlets on her arms releasing two long blades attached to much longer chains that wrapped around the gauntlets numerous times. "These chains and blades are charged with chaos energy and are made by GUN Special Ops Labs. So there's no way you stand a chance."

"I'm not here for any of that stuff..." the cloaked being responded. "I'm here for you."

"What? Identify yourself!" Alice demanded. "Take off that hood!"

"I'm surprised you haven't recognized me..." the cloaked figure said as he removed his hood, much to Alice's shock, "...after all, you know me better than anyone alive..."

"Gemini!" Alice exclaimed in complete and utter shock, recalling her weapons.

* * *

**Location: Eggmanland**

"What were the result of your little journey to Shamar?" Eggman questioned, not even turning to face the kneeling Metal as he sat at his throne and stared out at all of Eggmanland.

"The heroes managed to figure out my weakness and destroyed the E-Wind, E-Flame, and E-Laser robots you sent to aid me," Metal explained. "I could not face all four of them, so I decided to take a strategic retreat."

"You could have done better, but I admit that was wise," Eggman nodded, "Go on."

"It turns out that the heroes no nothing more about this than we do," Metal explained. "They know of the disturbances as well, and are trying to figure out what they are."

"We need to go after these people and destroy them, as well and Sonic and friends. Nothing will get in my way of world domination!" Eggman ordered. "Release the E-V Army, we have some targets to eliminate!"

"Yes, Eggman," Metal nodded. _I'll use you until these people leave me alone and then destroy you, you weak fool!

* * *

_

**Location: Mystic Ruins**

Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Knuckles sat in the living room of Tails' Workshop, relaxing as they listened to the news. Their heroic feat in Shamar was still on every major news channel in the United Federation, and probably outside of it as well.

"We did a real good job," Knuckles said. "Metal won't be messing with us for a while."

"Well you never know what Eggman's up to," Sonic said. "He's probably starting up something every two seconds. It's no big deal."

"Well me and Knuckles try not to get wrapped up in this hero stuff, so it's big for us," Amy replied. "Are you sure we're gonna have that date soon?"

"Yeah, just as soon as we recover," Sonic said, earning odd looks from Tails and Knuckles. "I promise."

Before Tails could ask any questions about what he meant the door fell over. Sonic rushed over to find a familiar green crocodile leaning over the door, with three chaos above him. Cheese and Chocola were familiar but the third white one with a spiky head and blue back protrusions was unfamiliar to him. A purple chameleon, yellow and black bee, and a peachy colored rabbit stood behind him, the children looking surprised while the ninja chameleon just slapped his forehead in annoyance.

"I'm sorry about the door, Vector got the new chao Chanilla pissed off," Espio apologized. "He's got a quite temper, and I guess he finds people like Vector quite annoying."

"I know, tell me about it," Charmy said, a large bruise forming right below his eye.

"Stop it Chanilla!" Cream ordered, causing the chao to lower its head and gain a squiggly mark above its head. "You can't just hit everyone that annoys you, even if it's Vector!"

"Hey! What does that mean?" Vector snapped as he got up angrily. Chanilla charged at him again, but Espio held him back with a ninja string. The two tried to go at each other, but Sonic pushed both back with waves of blue wind.

"Why don't you guys tell us what you're here for instead of fighting each other?" Sonic asked, a little annoyed.

"Oh yeah," Vector said, scratching the back of his head and turning down the volume on his headphones just slightly. "Knock 'em dead Espio."

"Fine," Espio said in return. "We overheard some GUN soldiers talking about some sort of chaotic disturbance and about what was happening with you guys in Shamar. They said something about these being unusual amount of chaos disturbances in nature, and that it may culminate into something that may not be good for the Earth. They also said they've seen many cloaked figures with machines that seemed to be absorbing something, though they don't know what."

"That's more helpful than everything we've learned, thanks guys," Sonic said.

"We're also here to help you four out. You can't beat these guys all by yourselves. You can count on us!" Charmy promised, hovering up and down with excitement.

"Sounds great," Sonic said, "we could really use it since Shadow and Rouge went up and disappeared."

The group of heroes came in and greeted the other heroes, and while the prophesied threat had not even begun yet they could at least hope that for the moment they would have some peace.

But then at that very moment that night came upon them the alarms blared, and as Espio listened to the recording from GUN he went pale.

Guess there wouldn't be any peace that calm night after all.

* * *

**Location: Casino City**

"This is unbelievable...do you know how long it's been?!" Alice screamed, looking, happy, upset, and angry all at once, giving Gemini a hug as he discarded his cloak. "I missed you so much! And with these figures running all over the place and then you with that cloak...I feared the worst. Tell me you're not one of them."

"Alice, calm down," Gemini requested. "I don't want anyone to know I'm here, not yet."

"You still have things to do," Alice frowned. "Don't even pretend."

"I won't," Gemini said, walking past her, "Prep the plane. Get the other ladies to cover for you. You're coming with me. I won't stand alone against the world without friends any longer."

"Gemini..." Alice whispered as she pressed the button on the wall which alerted the helicopter crew. "...what happened to you?"

"More than you could guess," Gemini responded, putting on his black vest lined with golden fur. "Let's go, it's time I finally reunited with Amy. With the people coming after me, I can't hold off on that any longer."

Alice looked in shock at all these changes of heart Gemini was having but she knew that Gemini would probably want to keep this to himself. The hedgehog looked past her to the green butterfly with elegant blue, yellow, and purple striped wings that was floating there, a dim aura surrounding her as she followed him. Gemini looked at the ghost for a second and then ignored it, knowing that _she_ would never leave him unless he destroyed his inner demons.

The two walked up the spiral staircase and out to the roof where the plane was overlooking the entire city. The pilots looked shocked at who was entering, but a glare from Alice shut them up. The runway extended off the roof and the luxurious plane took off towards the Mystic Ruins, where they could Sonic and Tails...and hopefully Amy.

_You won't have to live without me any longer. I'm coming Amy,_ Gemini promised, as if she could hear him. _Hang on.

* * *

_

**Location: Empire City**

"Oh god," Sonic said. "This is far greater than anything Eggman could have thought of."

"Hate to say it, but you're right," Vector nodded, turning his music slightly down to show the severity of what they saw. "This is not good."

Empire City was always known for being a peaceful yet sprawling urban metropolis filled with its own unique consumer chaos, but nothing like this. Fires lit up the night sky, and the full moon laid ominously above it all, as if the eye of an god being entertained by the carnage. Mysterious and twisted black creatures with white highlights all over roamed the city, the screaming of citizens coming to life as GUN soldiers desperately fought them off with waves of gunfire. The beasts leaped and flew all over the place, twisting from one victim to the next, and no end was in sight.

From over a building Sonic could see the burst of a Chaos Blast-Shadow must be nearby. But in the mood he was probably in Sonic chose not to mess with him. Tails parked the Tornado on the rooftop as the group of eight looked over the skyscraper to the city below, shocked at what was happening.

"What are those things?" Espio questioned. "I can sense that they're like chaos energy, but at the same time they're much different. They seem to be sinister, much more than even the Black Arms and Iblis' Beasts were."

"That's not good," Amy said. "Especially since without Shadow and Silver we would've failed both of those times."

"But we've gotten stronger since then, right?" Sonic countered. "We can take these guys without a problem."

"But don't we need a plan? There's way more of them than us and GUN," Cream squeaked, all three of her chao hugging to her body in fright of the monstrous beings.

"And that's where Tails comes in!" Sonic said quickly.

"Thanks for the head ups, Sonic," Tails said with a hint of annoyed sarcasm. "We need to split up into different groups. We need to make sure the Mayor's out of here so we need at least two people to get him out."

"Me and Charmy can do that!" Vector decided. "Maybe I can hear my music a little bit more down there."

"Always about the music," Charmy sighed dramatically.

"We also need three people to figure out what's the source of what's happening. I can do that, and since Sonic and Espio are fast, they should come too," Tails said, Sonic merely nodded.

"What about the rest of us?" Knuckles asked.

"Maybe me, Knuckles and Cream should help out these GUN troops where they're not doing so well," Amy said, looking over the roof once again, "With that many; they'll definitely need it."

"Alright then!" Sonic said proudly, the group splitting up in an instant. "Let's do this!"

* * *

"The Lord made this whole thing sound really epic and important," one of the cloaked figures complained, dangling his feet carelessly over the edge as his icy tail swung out behind him in agitation. "But it seems as if his little creatures are doing all of the work. No one's coming after us."

Three of the cloaked figures sat on top of the largest building in the city, lightning and rain falling from the heavens around them. It only complemented the fiery and bloody chaos happening below. In the middle of the three and in front of who seemed to be Aersus due to the swords on his back was a strange pulsing black machine, constantly letting off streams of black energy which would then return with multicolored streams of light energy, presumed to be chaos.

"You're so right Frost," another said, being short yet in his own unique way large and bulky. A large hot and fiery orange aura surrounded his being. "I need to get some action soon."

"I could see why you would say that, you've got awfully big shoes to fill," Blizzard said in return. "But you'll do fine Leo."

"I guess there is a reason the Lord wanted me personally," Leo smirked in return. "Jealous much?"

"We're all on the same level here," Frost said in return. "Chill out, this is only the start of the things we're going to have to do."

"What's up Aersus?" Leo asked, turning to face him and revealing a his milky brown eyes. "You haven't said a word since we arrived. You've also been really tired too. What's getting to my fun loving friend?"

"Leave him alone Leo, he's been going through more than you can imagine right now," Frost ordered. "It's okay Aersus, you can just relax. We'll take it from here."

"I'm fine," Aersus said, his voice low as If he was depressed. "I can handle myself."

"Well that's good, cause here they come," Leo said.

As Frost noticed Sonic, Tails, and Espio approaching his flipped back to the main part of the roof, not wanting to be exposed at the edge. Frost raised his hand as a massive black and white beast with glowing white eyes, elegant gray armor, and a large claymore. He brought it down upon Sonic, but the hedgehog flipped to the side and kicked his claymore away. The yellow fox then followed with a powerful blast of orange energy, incinerating the large Ragnarok Beast. The group of heroes turned to to notice the spikes of energy from the three Ragnarok agents before leaping over to the roof they were standing on.

"So you guys are the ones messing around with these disturbances!" Sonic smirked. "And you think these beasts are going to stop me from pounding your faces in!"

"We have plenty of power to stop you so called 'heroes'," Leo retorted, "and these chaos disturbances are completely natural. We're just taking advantage of them."

"Whatever you're doing can't be good if you're after so much chaos energy and you're attacking all of these people!" Tails exclaimed.

"We'll be the judges of that," Frost said. "Now either you can forget you saw us or you can die. We're the ones doing the justice here."

"Then what about this?" Sonic said, surprisingly revealing the letter Amy had received. "It seems like someone is trying to escape from you at all costs, and whatever you've done has to be bad if it's driven this 'Gemini' to this brink."

"So that's the reason why you keep slacking off about your date with Amy?" Espio said, Sonic merely nodded.

"You...you're the ones Gemini's running to..." Aersus said, everyone turned to him as the air became thick with raw pressure. "...you're the ones who helped leave Ragnarok...and me..."

"What are you talking about?" Sonic questioned, but it was too late. In five seconds Aersus threw off his hood, unsheathed both swords, and launched for Sonic, waves of pressurized chaos energy surrounding him.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: Sorry for the delay, but I got mono, and it sucks. But I plan to make up for this in time, so hang on for the next exciting update!


	5. First Assault Part Two

**Crisis of Ivory**

A/N: Some of you may have noticed the story title's change, but that was due to the fact that while you guys liked the whole one, it didn't fit my vision for the story, so I changed. It sounds cooler to me anyhow. My sickness is almost gone so I've decided to give what I so desperately owe, the final part to this special where Chaos' vision will become reality, more questions will replace some answers, and a new force unknown to all will move into action.

Chapter 5: The First Assault Part Two

"Whoa!" Sonic shouted.

He back flipped and spun through the air as Aersus shot through the air below him, creating a wave of moving pressure that pushed Sonic even farther back. The hedgehog moved to land on his feet, but Aersus was there, twirling around rapidly as his massive swords created a vortex of air around him. Sonic backed up and shot a Sonic Wind off to stop his violent attack. Both fighters halted, glaring each other down.

"Why would Gemini choose you pieces of trash?" Aersus questioned. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"Don't look at me like I know!" Sonic questioned. "I don't even know who Gemini is, and what you meant by choosing!"

"Just shut up!" Aersus yelled back, holding both swords out at his side and charging for Sonic. "I didn't ask you to understand any of this!"

Sonic flipped back and kicked off of the roof as Aersus shot across it surrounded in a bolt of kinetic energy. The attack nearly missed Sonic, but as he was suspended flying backwards in mid air Aersus pursued him. The jackal unleashed an array of powerful attacks which Sonic blocked with hand to hand blows. In the end both delivered a powerful blow the other's face, sending them flying away from each other. They landed on the opposite ends of the roof and charged for each other again, their attacks bouncing off in waves of gray and blue.

"Looks like Aersus was more angry than sad, I guess," Leo shrugged, removing his hands from his pockets.

"What happened to him?" Tails asked. "He seems really bitter about something."

"You should know," Frost snapped back. "You and your stupid friends made this even worse for him. But enough about that, it's time to take out the trash anyway."

"Who are you gonna take?" Tails questioned.

"I'll take Mr. Bulky and Silent over there," Espio whispered back, "you take his chatty friend. I'm sure he'll underestimate that cannon and it'll be it for him. And I'll figure out this guy's secret. Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."

And before either Ragnarok member could guess what was happening Espio flipped over Tails and made rapid hand signs before unleashing a powerful spinning fireball of destruction trailing from his mouth. Frost could only watch as the attack engulfed Leo, even his silhouette disappearing within the flames. The attack burned for a long time as the fireball exploded around him, letting off waves of heat that caused all of the fighters besides Aersus and Sonic to cease fighting for the moment. When it finally ended the silhouette stepped through the smoke.

"Impossible...his cloak is full of torn pieces...but he looks like he wasn't even hit!" Espio explained.

"That can't be!" Tails said. "My cannon reveals no spikes in chaos energy, and if he moved at all the fireball would've acted differently. He just stood there!"

"Apparently they don't get it yet," Frost smirked, his tail wagging out behind him. "Show him up, Leo."

"With pleasure," he responded.

In one movement he shot forward and drove his knee into Espio's gut, causing him to fall over. The movement was surprisingly quick for one of his bulk; with that added force Espio found himself coughing and gagging below him. Tails quickly fired at Leo to push him away and before Frost could kick him Tails fired another pulse at him as well, sending him flying back. A yellow energy hummed at the front of Tails' Ion Cannon as he waved it back and forth, making both fighters retreat to the back of the roof.

"You okay Espio?" Tails asked, before smirking.

Leo looked in confusion before Espio puffed away into a small log-it was a Substitution. The chameleon surrendered his camouflage behind Leo and cut off his hood, revealing a mess of lock like orange hair. But before any more of his face could be revealed he flipped back through the air, twisting around as Espio chased him and unleashed barrage of kunai and shuriken. The deadly projectiles embedded themselves in his limbs and chest through his cloak, causing him to fall for a second. Espio flipped back and held a scroll in a his left hand and a kunai in the right as he got back up, staggering slightly.

"You tired yet?" Espio asked. "Come on, I'm just getting started."

"Started? I'm warming up," Leo smirked, pulling out all of the shuriken and kunai in his body without the slightest display of pain much to Espio's shock as his features were revealed. The lion's fur was golden with red streaks on his hair, which were in locks. His muzzle was pale with two fangs sticking out and his eyes were completely full with a piercing yellow. Despite this description something about his fur lugged rugged, as if it was more like waves in a rock. As he pulled out the weapons and threw them to the ground not a single bit of blood was spilled. "Can't you see your little ninja parlor tricks won't work on us?"

"You have to be hurt, even in the slightest," Espio said raggedly, slightly winded from the swift yet long fighting. "No one's invincible."

"You'd be surprised at the things we can do," Leo replied as he charged for him once again, this time jumping into the air and bringing around a strong kick with a spin.

Espio ducked under the blow and swiped out at him numerous times with the kunai, most of which he dodged. The one blow that hit him bounced off, as if Espio just hit a wall of rock. Leo let loose a series of jabs which Espio weaved around, feeling even the air being pushed aside by the unnatural force. As Leo brought around a powerful hook Espio tried to move but he slipped slightly and as he caught his footing Leo smashed him straight int the jaw, sending him spinning to the floor. Without giving him a break Leo jumped up into the air and came down onto the roof with both fists-as Espio rolled out the way the shock rippled through the surface and formed a web of cracks. The chameleon leaped back and put numerous hand signs around his scroll while still keeping his eyes on the orange lion.

"Hm, another ninja trick?" Leo questioned.

"Yeah," Espio muttered before leaping back and planting the scroll on the ground. A line of puffs traveled towards him and then...nothing. One last poof, and it was over.

"Even for a petty ninja like you I expected better," Leo sighed. "Where's the flashy attack, and the big bang? Even if I won't get hurt, it's nice to see."

_When I was close to him he seemed to get hotter and hotter as he moved...that combined with the rocky thing I bounced off of...I think I have an idea what's going on here, _Espio thought to himself. _I'll leave that there and see what he pulls next._

Before either of them could make another move a sudden explosion filled the air as a assortment of rings hit the ground. Frost jumped back, a light blue aura surrounding him as he held up his arm to block the smoke from reaching his eyes. Tails fired off a wave of orange lasers, but they were blocked by a wave of cold blue projectiles-Tails had a bad idea as to what they were. Frost skated across the ground towards him, a thin layer of ice almost magically forming beneath his feet. With a wave of his hand he formed a ramp of ice which he launched off of, rocketing down towards Tails.

With him quickly approaching Tails had no option but to fire off the most powerful laser he could, sending a large beam forward. Frost blocked the arcing destruction with a pure wall of frozen water, causing the beam to split in a brilliant ray of colors around it. The beam broke through shortly but Frost was already out of the way, the wind from it only blowing off his hood. As the ice wall fell Tails got a good look at Frost while charging up his Ion Cannon and reaching into his quills.

"I'll give you credit, for being around someone like your speedy friend you could still be considered quick on your feet," Frost complimented. "I've usually killed most of my enemies before this point!"

Frost had icy blue fur and bright, sharp amber eyes. His muzzle was a pure white, and he had sharp eyebrows. His muzzle was blow the his white whiskers and two small fangs stuck slightly out of his mouth. His hair went back in short quill like shapes while some of the hair on the right side of his head drooped over into bangs on his face.

_He formed ice from the very moisture in the air!_ Tails exclaimed. _But how did he do it?_

"Now, let's continue," Frost said before a cold blue aura formed in his hands. Something solidified formed there and as the cat tossed the shards of the aura through the air they formed into sharp, spiked projectiles.

Tails smirked slightly as he quickly locked onto each shot and fired small missiles of energy to repel them, yellow and blue flowing away from each other. Frost quickly fired off more of them and tails was ready, firing off more shots. But this the energy attacks reflected off of the Ice Shards as they pierced Tails before melting into water, the fox's blood dripping to the ground from the corners of his mouth. Another barrage came at him but Tails used his tails to push himself out of the way. The fox returned with a barrage of laser shots which Frost dodged almost effortlessly using his feline agility. But before Frost could react Tails charged forward to meet him, unleashing numerous punches followed by a few tail whacks before kicking him into the ground.

"What are you gonna do now, huh?" Tails said, lowering the barrel of the Ion Cannon into Frost's face. "You can't escape."

"It doesn't matter. You won't kill me, we both know it," Frost said, the smug smile of his never faltering. "And anyhow, if you did what would that make you?"

Tails did not respond.

"Don't make me laugh," Frost said, "I wouldn't leave myself open for any reason. Frost Decoy."

The cat Tails had his gun pointed at suddenly seemed to have cracks forming along its body, the shards blowing away. The real Frost stood on another roof, completely unharmed. By the time Tails got up to face him there was nothing underneath him but a few shards of ice that had not blown away. The fox quickly sprung into action and leaped to the next roof, standing face to face with his opponent.

"That machine...it's collecting chaos energy, and it seems like its a lot," Tails analyzed, glancing over to the black and white machine behind Leo. "What do you want with it? Where is all of this energy coming from?"

"Can't you see that we're sitting on top of a chaos disturbance?" Frost questioned. "We're going to need loads of this powerful energy to accomplish our goal. You'll figure out what is in time, but the thing's were working with are going to change this world beyond anything you could imagine. It will be glorious."

"You're out of your mind," was all Tails said in return before the two got ready to continue their fight. But then the genius fox heard a loud yell of pain.

Espio picked himself out of the large crater in the ground before flipping backwards and out of the way of another powerful strike. Large bruises were beginning to show up on Espio's skin despite its hardness and a bloody mess of a wound covered the entire right side of his chest. Leo let out a battle cry as he shot forward, unleashing more and more powerful blows. Espio tried to dodge most but a few still hit him. It was clear that his strength was running out.

The chameleon tumbled backwards and barely managed to stay up on one knee as Leo approached slowly, knowing he could take his time. The chameleon formed more hand signs, but all the lion could do was laugh.

"Another ninja trick? You're not being tricky anymore, just stubborn," Leo stated. "Give up already. We won't harm you if you do not interfere with us."

"And then what? You take over the world? Not a chance," Espio sneered.

"You cannot possibly understand what we're trying to accomplish here," Leo reasoned. "How do you know that what we're doing is not for the good of the world?"

"Because of what you're doing to those people down below," Espio countered, finishing off his own hands signs. "And anyhow, you must not be that smart if you didn't realize you created your own trap. This building is scheduled for demolition for a very good reason, and your pounding of every inch of this roof didn't help. My scroll from earlier wasn't meant for you...it was meant for what was below you. Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

The chameleon jumped into the air and thrust his palm out, sending a highly packed wave of wind towards the lion. It impacted with one of the craters made, which caused the the others to collapse as Espio made a quick escape to another roof. Leo's heavy body caused him to fall faster and faster through the broken floors of the roof, all attached to a network of paper bombs and kunai. The winds ignited the first which trailed down past him and towards the bottom of the building. Before he could stop his descent all of them exploded in unison, annihilating the entire structure of the building. The entire thing came down as Espio grimaced, only imagining the pain he was going through.

After a little bit the smoke cleared, revealing what was left of the building. Only a few walls still stood, the rest laying in a pile of destruction at the bottom. And standing at the top of it all was Leo. Cracks seemed to etch itself across his face, fragment of its falling off and liquefying into some sort of heavy orange mass. This revealed parts of the real bright orange fur underneath, as well as parts of his tan muzzle.

"You took a lot out of me there...if you set those up any differently I would've been dead," Leo panted. "You were trying to spare me."

"True. I do not desire to kill you," Espio said, "give up."

"At least I protected the Chaos Gatherer," Leo said, revealing that he used his body to protect the black and white machine under him. Streams of energy were radiating around it instead of coming, which Tails realized meant that it was full. "Let's go, the mission is done."

Aersus and Frost jumped towards Leo, the former snapping his fingers as a black and white vortex that ripped through the very fabric of space opened up behind them. The heroes looked in horror, knowing they were getting away, but there was nothing they could do-they were too high up to get down in time.

"We will meet again," Aersus said venomously as Frost and Leo stepped before him into the vortex, taking the machine with them. "Tell Gemini the next time we meet each other, I won't hesitate to kill him."

Then Aersus stepped through the portal. In a flash it closed behind him, the speeding figure of Sonic not reaching it in time. The fires began to burn out and the screams and gunfire began to get smaller and smaller-the carnage was over and the other heroes had succeeded.

But even Sonic knew they failed. This Ragnarok was one step closer to achieving their goals and they were no closer to figuring this whole mess out. The blue blur still had a bad feeling about all of this.

* * *

**Location: Industry City**

Industry City was one of the more unusual places in the world. While its technologies could be considered incredibly advanced no one lived there-besides the old weaponry and machinery it was virtually abandoned. The flooding water from the polluted ocean went over the soft marshy ground outside the factories and networks of pipes-steam billowed into the air and the humidity was enough to make anyone not used to the area sick. But even among all of this two figures walked amongst the towers on top of the pipes, shrouded in shadows.

"This would be a suitable locations for our operations, Master," the first one exclaimed, almost in a robotic tone. Through the shadows the only thing that could be seen about it were the large and bright red orbs that seemed to be in place of eyes. "It is possibly better than even Eggmanland."

"You're right, I commend you for that Xi," the second said. "No one would suspect anything happening here, among all of these other machines. Of course they would make useful minions, as well."

"My computers have detected an increase in Ragnarok presence. What do you wish to do about that?" 'Xi' asked. "If they find out about us we'll surely be eliminated."

"I do not know," the second figure replied, his glowing red ring like eyes in a sea of black being eerily familiar. "But we should start moving things farther along, just in case. We should make our move her soon."

"What about the other forces? Will they figure out?" 'Xi' questioned, a hint of concern being detected in his fragmented, robotic voice. "You won't be able to survive against all of them by yourself."

"I have fought forever now, and even with that doctor beside me I have felt so alone," the second figure replied back. "And besides, if he finds out, I'll kill him without any problems. Now depart. We'll meet here again when possible. You'll detect if I do, I'm sure."

"Yes," 'Xi' nodded, and then his form dissipated, streaming through the air in wisps of strange codes. The figure looked at the streams, held up his claw for a moment, and then leaped away. Everything was going according to plan.

_To Be Continued..._


	6. Faster the Chase

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 6: Faster the Chase

**Location: Unknown**

The long dark hall stretched for what seemed like forever, coated in an absence of all light. A pure light filtered down through two glass rows in the roof, and tall pillars went in rows at each side lining up to the very end of it. Aersus, Leo, and Frost, their hoods taken off bowed down in a front of a mainly shrouded throne which almost touched the white light above, one lone figure sitting on it.

He was wearing the same uniform, but it was more like a robe and it had no sleeves, revealing brilliant orange fur with purple swirls going all the way down to the gloves. A powerful aura of chaos energy surrounding him, constantly radiating off and washing over the room with a calm presence. The figure made no movements at all, simply staring out into the distance at what seemed to be nothing. It was as if his mind was in a completely different place.

"What was the success of the mission?" the throned figure asked, not even looking down to stare at the Ragnarok trio.

"The machine gathered enough chaos energy," Leo explained. "A few heroes tried to stop us, but we stalled them long enough to get the job done."

"Good," the throned being said as the energy flowed through the air and into a large machine coming out of the back of the throne. It was unknown as to what it exactly looked like, but white metal branches seemed to extend from it to collect the white and black energy as the spoke. "Nightmare and Terra are taking care of Gemini and his allies. Until that situation is resolved, prepare the other machines. And Aersus, take a rest. I know how hard this must be for you."

"You have no idea," Aersus said, "but I'll try."

The three left the room in silence as the throned being continued to look out. With a snap of his fingers two more Ragnarok Beasts came out, both of them being the large Guardians Sonic fought before. The massive black and white creatures took the now useless machine out of the room mindlessly while the throned being raised his aura, knowing it wouldn't hurt anyone now.

"Gemini has forced my hand," he said. "But maybe decisive action is what we need now. He may have done more good for us than bad now."

* * *

**Location: Mystic Ruins**

"Why won't this thing go any faster?" Gemini asked, his fists clenched. Alice merely sighed and gazed out the window, her fist planted in her cheek.

They had been traveling all night. Only Gemini himself, the biggest multi-billionaire could demand that they reach the fox's workshop in the Mystic Ruins in eight hours, before the sun barely rose. They were all awake the whole time, and it was taking a toll on all of them, especially the hedgehog himself. His leg shook nervously, especially after hearing the chaos Ragnarok caused in Empire City. The helicopter rode alongside the train path that went above the valleys and mountain that made up the northern edge of the Mystic Ruins and separated it from the bustling urban land of Station Square. They were getting closer and rays of scarlet began peeking over the horizon and radiating across it. But still, something felt wrong and all of them knew it.

"If it wasn't for the fact you were paying us so much sir, we'd be asleep right now, at the wheel," the pilot chuckled.

"I'd sleep right through the crash too," Gemini chuckled, his leg shaking even more. The co-pilot laughed, but Alice stayed silent. "What's the matter, Alice? You knows, your figure is less noticeable when you won't face me."

The pilots laughed for a bit, but then they stopped when they suddenly felt a 'presence in the room. By the time they turned Alice was out of her seat, giving Gemini the beating of his life. The hedgehog howled out in agony as she drove her boot into his family jewels, in addition to her fists nailing him in his stomach. By the time the carnage was over Gemini's face was bruised and he was clutching his jewels in agony.

"Apparently you haven't changed a bit, even with what happened since you left," Alice sneered playfully. "But as you can tell, neither have I."

"I'm sorry," Gemini whined as Alice sat down next to him, "Oh my god, the pain isn't going away. What are in those boots?"

"You should know, you gave me a thousand dollars to spend on them!" Alice replied, the pilots laughing even harder.

Gemini breathed in slowly as the pain went away. He could only wince as he realized how strong Alice still was-next time he would be sure to keep a distance form her when he said things of that nature. He looked out the window the opposite side, taking in the view as the sun's rays stretched across the sky to the right and towards Station Square off in the distance. He looked out at the valleys and small mountains, finding himself drifting off due to its amazement.

And then after what seemed like a long time something began moving besides the trees and the grass in the wind. What seemed like black and white ripples formed in the air, shifting and changing their shape until they formed an unstable whirling pool through the dimensions of space. One figure stepped through and then another, both wearing white cloaks with black marking and patterns. Gemini recognized both members of Ragnarok immediately, and in that instant he bolted out of his seat.

"We have to get out of this helicopter!" Gemini commanded.

"Why? What's happening?" the pilots said. Alice moved to undo her restraints, knowing to trust him on instinct.

"Now is not the time to argue with me," Gemini hissed. The pilot nodded and opened the door to the helicopter, the breeze from outside making its way in.

But it was too later. As Gemini looked below one of the figures smashed a foot into the ground, causing something to rise beneath the helicopter. The pilot tried to move out of the way, but it was too late. The earth rose up into a giant sharp jagged blade and pierced the tail of the helicopter, separating it and tearing it to shreds. Without any support the helicopter descended rapidly and spun through the air towards the train tracks, and to their horror a train began to pass. The spin threw Gemini to the other end of the helicopter with a powerful shudder, the door opening slightly.

"Brace yourselves!" Alice shrieked as the helicopter veered wildly down at an angle.

The helicopter collided with the middle train car passing, tore through it, and destroyed the train tracks below it, sending numerous train cars and the helicopter down to the ground below in a descending mass of flames and crushed metal. Screams rang through the two Ragnarok agents' ears as they skidded down the side of the cliff they were formerly at the top of, landing on the ground with barely a thud. The people scattered at the sight of them, fleeing through the valleys.

"That was a little bit more of a display than I hoped for, but they won't be getting any closer now," the taller figure said, "Good job Terra."

"Hell, you know it was beautiful," Terra cackled, moving into a fighting position. "I probably killed him!"

"Don't count on it, you ugly bitch," Gemini called out, a jet of black shooting out into the air and breaking open the side of the helicopter ruins. A moment later Alice stumbled out, clutching a wound in her side, followed by Gemini, whose left arm hung limp at his side. "I don't know why you even cover your face Terra."

"You...you're so unlucky I didn't kill you, because I can have some more fun now," Terra barked, throwing off her hood. She was a light milky brown ferret with a fair muzzle, a short nose, narrow dark green eyes, and long silky dark brown hair flowing backwards. She held out her hands towards the ground and small fragments rose up to surround her fists in gloved gauntlets of heavy rock. "I'll wipe your carcass all over the ground!"

"Bring it, slut," Gemini called angrily.

The moment he said that Terra charged for the two, Gemini giving one last look to the dead pilots before facing her. The other hooded figure merely stood there, observing Gemini with black eyes, deep purple swirling inside of the black rings that made up the outside.

A a small trail of earth allowed for Terra to slide across, holding her fists at the ready. Gemini awaited her approach and swung out by her head with his leg. He waited for the impact but Terra quickly ducked under and emerged behind him, unleashing a powerful punch. The force of it caused Gemini to fall to the ground, but as he did Gemini's other body came out and grabbed his arm, swinging him around for another kick which had enough force to knock Terra off her feet and through the air. To make things worse Alice unleashed her Chaos Chain Blades.

The two blades swung through the air as directed by Alice's gauntlets before they coiled around the airborne member and sent her swinging around before they released and tossed Terra into the ground. The ferret quickly got to her feet to avoid the attack from one of the Geminis before slamming her heel into his back, causing him to rebound off the ground. As he fell back down again Terra hit him with a plethora of combos before holding her hands out and shooting both gauntlets of rock off, hitting the other Gemini.

"This is pretty pathetic for you. I mean I know you just got out of a crash, but come on. You've always been better than this," Terra teased as both Geminis reformed. "You gotta give me better than that!"

"Do you ever shut up?" Gemini asked, holding out his hands, "Dark Cannon!"

The attack happened all in a flash. The rich hedgehog's hands suddenly lit with black energy that glowed and burned greatly, then a barrage of dark flaming projectiles shot towards Terra. The Ragnarok ferret was thrown back by the force of the dark energy attacks as they burst upon contact, scorching her body with black flames. The ferret skidded across the ground as Gemini dropped to one knee in exhaustion, panting heavily.

"You...you must've used up a lot of energy to shield yourself and that chick in the crash. That was also pretty interesting...you used some sort of vortex? How did you do that?" Terra questioned.

"What do you know? You have a brain after all," Gemini mocked. "I would try to explain it, but I don't think you would be able to understand."

"You'll pay for that insult with your life, Gemini," Terra retorted smugly. "Your ego was always too big for such a wimpy little rich kid."

"We'll see about that," was all the rosy hedgehog said before Terra moved into a fighting stance, a wave of energy radiating from her.

The light brown anthro slammed her foot into the ground. The earth split as a rapid fissure opened up, the earth within shooting for Gemini. The Fissure Attack missed the exhausted hedgehog by inches as he cartwheeled out of the way of one, and then the other shot under him as he flew up into the air. Terra followed by kicking off of a pillar of earth she created under herself, shooting for him. The brown hedgehog launched down with his fist, the two punches meeting in the air. The wind blew away from both combatants due to their flaring chaos energy. It seemed that Terra's fist would win the clash, but then Gemini let go and kicked her across the face before knocking her back down to the ground.

"It's not over yet, bitch!" Gemini called out.

In an instant, he summoned his other body which swung him around and after his target. Terra tried to block his attack, but it was no use. The rosy hedgehog's legs pounded into her chest with extreme force before his leg came down shrouded in black energy. The blow that was unleashed sent Terra hurling to the ground below in a sheen of black flames, the earth shattering all around her. It wasn't over yet, as the other Gemini fell above the first, who hurled him over him. The Rose heir vaulted downwards aided by the dominant force of gravity, before slamming his heel into the chest of the ferret on top of the wound.

The feisty Ragnarok agent screamed out as another, bigger column of dark energy rose from the impact, dust rising off of the ground. Gemini flipped back and merged with his other copy, the darkness manipulator wincing as he fell on his right side, his left leg and knee injured greatly. Terra rose up and glared at the Ragnarok rogue, panting heavily.

"I've never seen that one from you before," Terra exclaimed. "Is that a new one from you?"

"Yeah, thought of it on the spot," he told her. "I think the Pummeling Darkness is a good name for that one!"

"You..." Terra growled, holding out her arms towards the ground once again. "I'm gonna show you something much better than your parlor trick."

But at that second, her taller partner with the unusual vermilion and ebony ones grabbed her by the arm firmly. Whoever this member was had influence as Terra immediately stopped, almost gasping in shock. Gemini narrowed his eyes at the Ragnarok agent as he stepped forward, the breeze rolling across the valley.

"I hate you," Gemini hissed bluntly, the will from his anger allowing him to get back on his feet. Alice came to his side as well, withdrawing one of her Chaos Chain Blades for a blade that went out over her finger from the gauntlet. Both of them charged at Nightmare who did not make a move. But then Alice looked into his eyes, and then it was over.

* * *

**Location: Tails' Workshop**

Sonic woke with a start as the ground shook. He zipped out of the workshop and onto the plateau of rocky land that it stood on, and though he didn't find the source at first, he looked into the horizon. The smoke from the crash billowed up into the air, and he knew something was wrong.

"Oh god," Sonic said, turning back around the workshop and jogging back in as to not injure himself. After all, bandages did run across his stomach, along his left arm, and his right leg.

But as he did he saw Amy standing there, looking in pure terror at the smoke plume. Her green eyes were large with fear and bitter tears formed in the corners of her eyes. Sonic walked over to her, and only when he was right in front of her did she notice him. Sonic knew that it was bad timing, but he just had a hunch as to what this was about.

"Is this what everything was about?" Sonic asked, pulling out the note from Gemini. Amy recognized the print, and was put in even more shock, staring at it as if her heart was contained in it. "That guy Aersus mentioned those people wanted to kill him in the fight yesterday. That's what happening now, isn't it? They all after him."

"The note..." Amy said, taking it from Sonic slowly, her tears falling onto it slowly as she took in a few deep sobs. "I'm so sorry. This is why you've been mad with me. This has all been his fault so far, hasn't it? You probably already hate my brother and you've never met him."

"There was no reason to hide this," Sonic said as Tails and Cream emerged from the workshop, all staring at the two. "You know I'm willing to help out anyone, and I don't know what this Gemini dude got into, but I can give him a chance."

Amy simply looked down at the ground, her feet shuffling back and forth. She put the note away in her quills as the two stood there. And then, Sonic's grin became wider.

"Now let's go save your friend," Sonic offered. Amy looked up in shock, before her sorrow eventually dissipated for the time being into a smile and the two raced forward at the threat ahead of them. But before that could happen the cliff side in front of them burst into smoke, and a figure came flying through straight at them like a hurling meteor, and the two leaped out of the way.

It was on.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: So now that it's Christmas vacation while I'm having loads of fun for the holidays I'll also be sending lots of updates over to make up for my lack of them the previous month. This story is about to really get started in the next few chapters, but much will change before then. You'll have to wait till the next update to figure out now! Please, I can't urge enough to review, many have not lately and the feedback really gets taken into account. I will always reply! Hang tight for the next chapter, Arrival of a Rose!


	7. Return of a Rose

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 7: Return of a Rose

When Sonic and Amy landed they moved into fighting positions and looked at the cloud of dust that had rose. But there was nothing they could see through to it, and there were no signs of anything conscious inside. When the smoke cleared a figure was trying to pull himself out of the ground, blood spilling from him and into the crater he created.

Amy could only see the back of Gemini Rose as he stood to full height and ignored them, looking back to the cliff side. Sounds of fighting could be heard inside as the rosy hedgehog stood to his full height, not saying a word to any of the heroes. Tails and Cream walked behind them and moved into fighting positions as well, knowing they were in for something big.

"Gemini...what's happening?" Amy asked, unable to decide what to say. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Amy," Gemini said, giving her a warm glance from his radiant amber eyes before facing forward.

The ground ruptured and drifted as Terra skated across it, leaving behind a fissure in her wake. A large bloody gash went across her stomach and tore through her robe, but she was still determined and hell bent on killing her former comrade. She raised both of her hands to send two fissures out before her right at the other heroes. Sonic and Tails dodged with ease, but Cream and Amy were frozen in their tracks, both taken by surprise.

In a flash both were moved out of the way by Gemini's other body, who placed them both down before hopping forward for Terra. Amy and Cream were both taken by shock at his actions, but Sonic could notice th slow moving figure behind Terra, both of his drooped down almost limply at his sides. The blue blur zipped for him at godly speeds, a fist at the ready. Before he could even launch it the other figure leaned to the side, spinning around and launching a back breaking kick. Sonic jumped over it and released a point blank Sonic Wind. In a flash the Ragnarok agent's gun was in his hand, and he fired off two shots of pure chaos energy that destroyed the gale like attack before it could push him away any farther.

"You're pretty fast too," Sonic said, "Care to give me a name before I finish this?"

"The name is Nightmare Nexus, and I suggest that my stay out of my way. No one has to be hurt expect for Gemini," Nightmare suggested. "I do not want to harm anyone else. In a way, I could be considered like you."

"A hero, you mean?" Sonic asked, shooting for Nightmare once more. "Never! Not after what your friends did in Empire City!"

"It seems that the hero mantle is simply a name and a facade," Nightmare sighed. Despite the fact that Sonic had much power behind his Sonic Tornado, unleashing a massive cyclone of blue winds, the anthro was somehow able to instantly be displaced, rippling into view just out of range. "I used to want to be a 'hero', too. I wish that you, such a famous one, would be able to understand."

"Obviously you know nothing about being one!" Sonic called out angrily, cutting through the tall whirlwind with a spin dash.

He was about to barrel into Nightmare, and he could swear that the Ragnarok agent had nowhere to go, but right before the moment of contact he just seemed to blur, displacing exactly next to where he once stood as Sonic shot by, skidding across the ground as to not fall into the waterfall's basin. He zipped in a zig zag across the ground, before incorporating his speed into is blows, creating a rapid flurry of punches. But Nightmare saw them all coming and weaved through each one with unparalleled reaction time. When Sonic stopped Nightmare leaped over him and sung around, and so did Sonic.

"It is true what they say about you," Nightmare admitted as Sonic caught his powerful fist, rattling his body. "You are the fourth person I've ever fought who could even keep up with me!"

"So you're a big hotshot, aren't you?" Sonic smirked, trying to concentrate his energy into his other hand in the form of immensely concentrated blue winds. "But you'd be surprised at what I have up my sleeve."

"Did you think I wouldn't see your little trick?" Nightmare asked.

By the time Sonic saw what was coming Nightmare slid his hand around Sonic's and tossed him around and other him and then into the ground. The hedgehog spit up a little as the force from his strength and Sonic's weight all worked against him during the powerful impact, making him lose concentration on his secret attack. The Ragnarok agent stared down at Sonic with his unusual eyes before attempting to shoot him at point blank range. But in the split second it take him to quickly draw his weapon Sonic kicked it out of his hand. He grabbed it, but by that point Sonic slid off the ground and kicked him in the face twice before flipping away.

"How you like that buddy!" Sonic said, skidding across the ground with a grin on his face.

"A cheap little trick," Nightmare commented before pulling out both of his weapons. Numerous large blasts of energy came out from them despite their small size, ripping away everything around them as they shot towards Sonic. "Begone!"

The blue hedgehog gulped at the size of the blasts of chaos energy. He managed to zip his way in between them however, leaving only afterimages behind. He then skidded across the ground once again, but as he did he looked back and found Nightmare there, the agent's gun pointed at his back. A dome of green chaos energy shot Sonic straight into the ground like a meteor, Nightmare's foot planted into his back.

"This fight is over, hedgehog," Nightmare stated, pointing his gun at the back of Sonic's head. "I do not want to do this, but you have left me with little choice."

"Don't get cocky, now!" Sonic called out from afar, the afterimage he was holding dissipating in a wind of blue.

By the time Nightmare turned around to see the waves of afterimages followed by Sonic hitting him it was too late. A brilliant azure orb raged in Sonic's palm, blue winds whirling around inside like a hurricane and blades of wind surrounding the entire construct. The blue hero looked at Nightmare's fear stricken face before smashing the attack into his back.

"Sonic Storm!" the azure anthro bellowed.

The impact was shattering. All of the fighting ceased as the air ruptured and pounded on Nightmare before the whole attack burst in a dome of blue winds that tore up the ground in spirals with him being ripped to shreds in the epicenter. Brilliant light came off of it before it finally burst, exploding and leaving behind a cloud of dust. In the center of the destruction was Nightmare, blood pouring through holes in his tattered cloak.

"Good move. If I didn't think fast enough I would've been dead," Nightmare said before pointing behind him. The real unharmed Nightmare stood there, his arms crossed as the Nightmare lying in the center of the destruction faded away in ripples of vermilion and ebony. "You had a very powerful attack there but I can tell it was the first time you used it. It was reckless but all the same had much hesitation. It was a deadly move. You're just lucky I was on the offensive and not prepared enough to strike back."

"This doesn't make sense!" Sonic shouted in frustration. "How can I tactically hurt you if I hit you maybe once or twice throughout the whole battle? You can disappear and get around almost as fast as I can. And the last time I hit you nothing happened! You looked hurt and then there was another one of you, completely fine!"

"Only a fool would tell his opponent his main strategy," Nightmare stated, "But I'm done fighting. Here is a new game for you."

The Ragnarok agent waved his hand through the air, summoning a multitude of black and white vortexes. From them arrived a small squad of Ragnarok Beasts. A group of black and white soldiers in elegant white armor faced Sonic, holding blades with white auras around them. Behind them were beasts like them, but they were much slimmer and had less armor, but they had massive wings. Behind them were one of the Guardians from before, but they had black axes with a white aura around the bladed end.

"Let's see how yo do against these," Nightmare said, leaping back onto the side of the cliff and waiting patiently.

Sonic breathed in and out, trying to calm himself against the wave of enemies, but he found himself joined by Tails. With his trusted comrade by him the hero sped into battle, blue winds surrounding him in a shell of azure.

Meanwhile Gemini found himself neck to neck with Terra. The two launched at each other once more, a shock wave rippling off of each of their blows before they backed off. Gemini used his Dark Cannon again and fired off a volley of black energy projectiles. The ferret merely raised up a wall of rock to block the attacks before raising up another wall right under Gemini. The rosy hedgehog was knocked off balance, causing him to rise up with it.

To his surprise, Terra then sent the Fissure Attacks not only through the walls but up them too. By the time he figured it out the wealthy anthro was dancing his way through the different fissures, trying not to get hit by the jagged rocks that formed in their wake. Finally he managed to leap off of the rock and shoot through the holes left behind, delivering a hook to Terra's face that would leave a normal person in the hospital for weeks. Except Terra wasn't exactly normal. Though she tumbled back and smashed into the side of the ruins she picked herself up again and wiped the blood coming from her mouth while grimacing.

"How many times do I have to knock you around to get you to back off?" Gemini asked comically. "Jesus, sluts are so persistent these days. I will not engage in intercourse with you!"

"You've always had a dirty mind, haven't you?" Terra said angrily. "But it doesn't matter. I won't need much to deal with you. This will be the last technique you will ever see."

The ferret punched her fists together and gathered a heavy amount of energy which swirled in the ground and air around her. Gemini knew that with the injuries he had he would not survive this next technique. The ferret suddenly stopped her technique, flying up into the air. The rosy hedgehog could see his younger sister below, pink winds surrounding her other hand as she used the hammer for support for her next attack.

"Storming Hearts!" Amy called out.

A powerful gust of pink hearts and wind shot up towards Terra and surrounded her in a blanket of powerful wind. The entire thing exploded in a burst of giant hearts, the ferret falling to the ground with exhaustion. Even Alice looked impressed by the attack, holding a short chaos charged blade hidden in her bracelet in case she was attacked again. Terra tried to pick herself up, but she found herself to be very weak.

_I can't take all of them at once like this. I have almost no energy left and fighting so long has taken its toll, _Terra though before snapping her fingers. A black and white vortex opened behind her, and before Gemini could stop the portal with the remaining telepathic connection he had to the Ragnarok portals she was already gone.

Tails and Sonic were still holding their own, now joined by Cream. The trio had been using their powers in tandem, taking out most of the beasts. Sonic ducked under the blow of another one of the foot soldiers, known as the Nerux, and unleashed a chop to the neck before curling into a spin dash and knocking the last of them into the air. Cream leaped up into the air and swung out with her ears, wrapping them around the Nerux farthest away from her before pulling herself towards it and using the momentum to kick them all into puffs of white and black. At the same time her three chao took out more of the flying soldiers, known as the Aerux. Tails finished off the Aerux with a volley of small orange lasers which shot through vital points in each of them.

The three were then faced with the Guardian, holding his axe menacingly in one hand. He narrowed his eyes at the deaths of his comrades and let out a primal roar before walking slowly towards them.

"You guys ready for a Combo Attack?" Sonic questioned, smirking.

"Yes, Mr. Sonic!" Cream cheered while Tails nodded.

Cream sent out her chao which hit the Guardian multiple times around his body. Sonic then shot forward slightly and unleashed a speedy Sonic Wind which spun around the unharmed chao and lifted the Guardian into the air. Tails then stuffed a few Sphere Bombs inside his Energy Cannon and shot them out at the ground below where the Guardian was flying. He landed right on the bombs as they exploded beneath him, enveloping the impact in a white and black cloud of the remnants of the beast. When it cleared nothing was left and Nightmare was gone; the heroes were safe for now.

"Those Ragnarok guys my be tougher than what we usually get, but we're still too good for them!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Yeah, there's nothing that can stop us!" Tails added.

"Gemini!" Cream squealed, rushing to him and leaping into his arms. Apparently he knew her as well, though Sonic did expect this. If Amy and Cream were friends for so long then why wouldn't they both know Amy's long lost sibling?

"You have grown a lot," Gemini said, putting her down. "You have three chao now? You must be an excellent caretaker."

"My mom taught me how to use more than one," Cream stated. "It was hard, but she's one of the best chao caretakers in the world."

"Vanilla was always quite amazing with that. She used to make me go to all of her chao shows," Gemini chuckled. He felt someone behind her, and mistakenly assumed it was Amy. He was right, but that wasn't a good thing at the moment. He was suddenly flattened into the ground by her large Piko-Piko Hammer, and before he could get up she began shaking him back and forth with worry.

"Do you how long I've been missing you?" Amy asked, Gemini merely shook his head at the fourth person to beat him up that day. "You had me so worried when you disappeared like that, and then there was your letter, and those people...I thought you died!"

"It's okay, Amy," Gemini said warmly. "I know you're mad at me, but I was just as worried about you. I have to thank your friends for keeping you safe all this time."

"Just don't ever leave me again," Amy whispered, hugging him tightly.

"I promise..." Gemini wheezed through short breaths during the tight hug.

"My name's Sonic the Hedgehog," Sonic introduced, shaking Gemini's hand. "I hope you'll be able to show some more kick butt action against these Ragnarok people."

"I would prefer not to do that," Gemini said, Sonic looked at him in shock. "I'm not going to be the hero, and I want nothing more to do with them. The only reason I'll ever fight them again is for my personal reasons.

"It did seem like you knew these people," Tails realized. "Are you trying to say that...?"

"Yes," Gemini nodded, bowing his head slightly. "I was an agent of Ragnarok."

All of the heroes stared at him open mouthed, unable to comprehend the unspeakable thing he had done. Time seemed to slow as Gemini looked back up, surveying Amy, Alice, and Cream's reactions and ignoring the others'.

The moment was broken when the door to the workshop was knocked down by Knuckles and Team Chaotix, looking over the new faces and battered area with surprise. Everyone looked at them and sighed save for Gemini and Alice; obviously they did not know what they were dealing with.

"What happened, huh huh huh?" Charmy questioned excitedly. Espio and Vector yawned loudly and Knuckles rubbed his eyes.

"We were asleep. Did we miss something?" Knuckles asked. At that moment all of the heroes planted their palms in their faces.

"What am I dealing with here?" Gemini groaned, and fell unconscious in that instant.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: It's too bad that I had writer's block when dealing with this part, because it is one of the biggest parts. Nightmare and Gemini become much bigger players later on and this was their main introduction, but I'll write better with them in the future. Next chapter we'll be exploring Gemini and Alice a bit more with lots of plot development and then moving into the next arc of the epic story. So hang tight for that, I promise to update sooner than I did. And Jesus people, review for every chapter. I crave the feedback, and I wouldn't be able to write without it. Until next time!


	8. Curses

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 8: Curses

**Location: Tails' Workshop**

The heroes laid around the workshop, lying around on the furniture and watching the news. Thankfully, no one could tell it was Gemini and Alice and the bodies and helicopters were damaged beyond recognition. A few train passengers died and the heroes mourned for them a bit. But they couldn't afford to do that at the moment, as they had their own problems to worry about. Gemini's wounds were patched up, but he was still caught in a deep slumber. It was odd as to why he suddenly fell unconscious like that, but it was probably due to the shock of the crash.

"So, wait, who are you exactly?" Vector asked to Alice. "I mean, we know your name and that you came with Gemini, but that's all. It's pretty clear that we all know Gemini from the media or personally in one way or another."

"I'm Gemini's closest friend and corporal assistant," Alice stated. "I pretty much do any job he asks of me to organize his properties and to keep Casino Corp securely in his hands."

"Who would've known that the most spoiled brat in probably the entire was not only an awesome fighter, but was also Amy's brother and a former member of Ragnarok," Espio said. "These mysteries just keep getting more and more complex."

"You would be surprised at how not spoiled Gemini is," Alice countered. "He's actually pretty disciplined. He had to be in order to control those dark abilities he has."

"Yeah, I did want to know about that," Tails shared. "They weren't like normal abilities. I've never seen any like that before."

"We've researched ourselves, but we've found no one else on the planet with these abilities, or that could help him. And as you could see, they were pretty destructive, and he had to control them all by himself," Alice sighed. "He went through so much, but now they're more helpful than anything. We wouldn't have survived the crash without his help."

"I'm just glad to see him back, even if he's taking so long to wake up," Amy said, "I hope he's alright."

"Well, he's breathing, so he'll make it," Sonic replied.

"I would hope to study that dark energy once he wakes up," Tails wished.

"He probably will let you, if it'll help him even more," Alice nodded. "He is a man of reason."

"I wish Shadow could be there to observe this too," Tails said. "Do you think he would come?"

"I don't know about that," Amy said. "He called a few minutes ago saying that Eggman was attacking Holoska but insisted that we should not come and that GUN was taking care of it."

"Looks like the military is all grown up and can take care of themselves," Sonic chuckled. "But they'll always need heroes, like against this Ragnarok, and we really need less of a burden. Besides, Shadow's still one of us, right?"

* * *

**Location: Holoska**

"Stay out of my way Shadow!" Eggman shouted. "You may be a Robotnik, but if you stay in my way much larger I won't hesitate to look past that!"

"It's just too bad this is the mission then," Shadow retorted back, slamming into a leg that emerged from the blizzard with a loud clang.

A few pieces of armor fell of and as the black hedgehog descended through the whirling snow, hail, and ice he was forced to dodge a wave of bullets, weaving through them with perfect agility. He suddenly looked up and was shocked to find a missile coming after him. But right as it was going to impact with him and the ground he warped away in a flash of brilliant cerulean light, leaving a dome of destruction behind.

The ebony anthro reappeared on top of a large mass of ice and raised his hand before lowering it. At his cue a wave of GUN soldiers and sentries moved about the area, firing powerful rockets that destroyed many pieces of armor along the silhouette's limbs and chest. A loud groan was let from the machine as its large green eyes dimmed slightly, but before much else could happen more pieces of metal emerged to replace the ones that fell off, protecting it from a wave of Chaos Spears and the harsh cold of the battleground.

"That's it!" Eggman shouted, the massive mechanism waving out with its large limbs and knocking away the GUN Walkers to the sides of the shadow that seemed to stretch upwards into the sky. "I'm gonna crush all of you flat!"

And with that the machine charged forward, a full boost of flares from its back propelling it forward at surprisingly quick speeds. Within a few seconds the massive machine burst through the blizzard around it, revealing itself for a few moments as Shadow instinctively grabbed a semiautomatic from one of the GUN troops standing near him. The hedgehog fired off a the flying mechs similar to the ones Sonic had to fight with his hero friend in Shamar, destroying them all in instants with well placed head shots. But then the machine released more bots, and Shadow looked up to face it down.

The machine's cockpit was high above in the sky, protected by clear but almost impenetrable layers of some sort of unknown substance. The entire mechanical monstrosity was covered in sleek but large and burly navy blue armor, with red armor complementing it in more exposed areas. The rest of the mech was outlined in green and silver, especially along its massive arms. Its left fist was a cannon instead, the entire edge lined with all type of firearms. The rest of its body also had firearms and the mech rested on six spider like legs, which moved rather quickly despite its massive bulk.

The Egg Atlas groaned angrily before firing off a barrage of rockets which tore apart the ground and many GUN soldiers with it. Shadow leaped out of the way and fired off a barrage of bullets, destroying as many as he could around him. He then reloaded while still diving to the right and fired again to tear apart numerous cannons along the sides of the fortress like monstrosity. The Egg Atlas looked down at him and unleashed a powerful fist which seemed to crack and shake at the earth but the ultimate life form already warped out of the way, appearing by the fist of the beast with two sphere like attacks concentrated around both fists.

"Even it's size won't save it from oblivion!" Shadow called out. "Chaos...Nightmare!"

The Chaos Nightmares were pounded into the enormous embedded fist before Shadow expanded them. More pieces of armor fell off and the extension was greatly damaged, causing the Egg Atlas to roar out. It removed its fist from the ground before firing a barrage of rockets, destroying more of the powerful GUN Walkers firing at it. It then unleashed a laser beam from one of its giant lime green eyes at Shadow, who rolled and then warped out of the way to avoid the laser beam and then the powerful burst of air that followed.

"You can dodge all you want, but even the ultimate life form has a finite energy," Eggman cackled. "And you won't be able to punch through all of this armor even with your chaos affinity!"

"It's really interesting how you believe that you understand my mind and my power," Shadow smirked, unleashing a barrage of Chaos Spears to chip off even more pieces of armor before avoiding a volley of rockets. "Besides, you've used up enough energy trying to beat all my friends. That robot has to run out of power sooner or later. It's just a matter of you running out before me!"

With that out of Shadow he charged forward at the large robot, ready to end this. The Egg Atlas focused its attention on him, ignoring the large blast projectiles being launched at him by the GUN forces. It aimed his cannon towards him, which shone with a powerfully bright yellow hue. Shadow nonetheless continued forward, red particles of pure chaos energy dancing around his body. Finally a massive beam pure power shot through the air, ripping the ice, snow, and even the ground below it apart as it shot towards Shadow. The ultimate life form continued forward, and at the last second used a Chaos Control to warp away.

"He has gotten more powerful, that's for sure. How did he become such a big threat in such a short time?" Shadow wondered, appearing next to the Egg Atlas.

The massive mech turned and swung its fist into the ground, which Shadow quickly veered in the other direction to avoid. But then the Egg Atlas held out its hand and unleashed each digit of its fingers as missiles, much like the mech Eggman used against Sonic before the Dark Gaia incident. The black hedgehog quickly dodged all of them, expect for another volley which hit him in the back. Shadow flew across the ground and tumbled in a heap as the Egg Atlas regrew its finger digits and prepped another large beam while more of them circled around him in energy pillars that deflected many attacks.

"It's over, Shadow the Hedgehog!" Eggman cackled as the Egg Atlas loomed over Shadow. "It's too bad that you have to die. You may be ageless and semi-immortal, but everything has a limit. You can't break through my grand machine!"

"You're an idiot. I haven't even showed you what I'm capable of!" Shadow growled as he pulled off his Inhibitor Rings and tossed them high up in the stormy blizzard. "I won't even need these off for a few seconds!"

The Egg Atlas fired the beam at Shadow, and as it approached once again he seemed done for. But then yellow waves of pure chaos energy rolled off of his body, building charges in the atmosphere, and in that instant he held out his hands and performed a Chaos Control in front of him. The entire beam seemed to break apart in the space between the Egg Atlas and Shadow, or so he thought. The pink beam sprung to life behind the Egg Atlas and smashed it directly in the back, stunning it with arcs of energy and shorting it out. A hail of armor plates fell to the ground as his back was exposed.

By the time Eggman could figure out what he was doing it was too late. Shadow curved around the robot and shot off of a cliff heading right for its back, a blue hue surrounding his fur.

"Chaos Control!" Shadow bellowed, subconsciously shooting through the time-space continuum. A light came from within the the chest of the Egg Atlas, and then Shadow called out again, "Chaos Rift!"

"No!" Eggman cried out in frustration, ejecting himself from his large creation and disappearing over the horizon. "I swear this won't be the last of my new army!"

Shadow then appeared outside the mech once again, knowing that without the stabilizer drive the Egg Atlas would fall apart from its own energy and self-destruct. With one last Chaos Rift the mech was gone, its explosion lost somewhere in the time-space continuum. The hedgehog then caught his Inhibitor Rings and put them back on before turning away from the ruckus, finding Rouge and Omega waiting for him.

"You did great out there, Shadow," Rouge complimented.

"I did, but Eggman's getting a lot tougher," Shadow noted. "I think Eggman's making a powerful new army just like that because of competition from Ragnarok. If there are more of things like that then we may be in trouble soon enough."

"We will still annihilate all of his robots," Omega said, twisting his body around. "He will not succeed as long as my programs are running."

"Guess you're right, Omega. GUN's been getting a lot better lately, after all," Shadow nodded.

"It's good to see you're on top your game, Shadow the Hedgehog," a calm voice said, the owner of that voice walking towards Shadow. "You are one of the most powerful fighters in the world, let alone a GUN agent."

He was a medium gray fox with short black hair, some of it going in bangs drifting towards his left eye. He had a white muzzle, a long bushy tail ending in white, and a short nose. The fox wore a long black coat that had GUN imprinted on the side, and wore black pants and black boots. He also had long black gauntlets on his arms and a small GUN military backpack on. He also had bright, electrifying yet icy cool cyan eyes which seemed to peer into Shadow's soul as he approached, which slightly unnerved him.

"I know you! You're Cyrus Tech the Fox," Rouge said, "the head scientist of the GUN Labs and the leader of the GUN Black Ops."

"You are correct, Secret Agent Rouge," Cyrus confirmed. "It's nice to see that you and E-123 Omega are doing so well too. But I am truly here for Shadow."

"What do you want with me?" Shadow asked. "I already said no, I'm not going to help you with any more chaos experiments."

"That's okay," Cyrus said. "Though I would like that, I'm really here because effective immediately upon notice you have been promoted to the GUN Black Ops."

"Are you serious," Shadow exclaimed, taken completely by shock. "Almost no one is offered a spot!"

"You will still work with these two from time to time but you will mainly be working with our secret objectives that cannot ever be revealed to non-GUN persons including assassinations, intelligence, infiltration, and anything else that the GUN Commander would like to keep quiet. For now, you will continue observing Sonic and the other heroes to make sure they're in line," Cyrus said, turning around and walking away after giving a small twitch of a smile now that his business was done. "Report in to me at the end of the week."

And with that Cyrus departed from the scene, leaving Shadow to figure out what this would mean for him, whether it was a blessing or a curse.

* * *

**Location: Tails' Workshop**

_Amber eyes opened up, and golden covered hands pushed at the ground. Gemini Rose stood to full height and stumbled slightly, finding no energy in his body to hold himself up. He looked at himself to see that he was okay, but then looked out in front of himself. What he saw was impossible, it couldn't be real._

_The Rosy hedgehog was trapped in a realm of infinite darkness. The abyss was all around him, and there was nothing else. He simply floated through it, as if he were in a dark pool yet somehow full of air. No matter how far he went in any direction, he couldn't find any way out. The hedgehog became more worried as time passed and nothing changed, and left with just his haunting thought he felt as if he was going insane._

"_Where the hell am I?" Gemini shrieked out, a dark aura building around him as he lost control of himself. "How do I get out of here?"_

"_Oh, Gemini," Nightmare cackled, appearing from the darkness as it gave way to reveal a desolate wasteland with a purple sun shining above a crimson sky. "You were always very unstable. You're not much different than me."_

_At that moment Gemini's feet touched the ground and he charged towards Nightmare, who simply stood there. The maroon hedgehog launched through the air with dark energy swirling around his fist, ready to end this is a few short blows. He told himself than even if Nightmare could disappear he would still be able to hit him before he could even think of that._

_What he told himself was a lie._

_Nightmare was hit head on, his head reeling back and blood falling from his coat. Gemini landed behind him and swung around again, but the Ragnarok agent was gone in a flash. In an instant he before the hedgehog, holding him up in the air by his throat. Gemini tried to claw at his grasp, but it unbreakable._

"_Now that you've fully betrayed us for these heroes my mission is still not complete," Nightmare stated. "We can't have you going around and giving them all of our secrets if Ragnarok is to win this war and change this wretched world."_

"_What are you planning to do to me?" Gemini asked in fright._

"_I've been holding you in this coma like illusion as long as I can until Cerebral finishes the job," Nightmare said, Gemini's eyes widening greatly. "By the time you wake up all of your memories of us will be like blurs locked away in the recesses of your memory, even your deep hate for me and what I did to you. You won't even know who Aersus is, let alone your precious dead Virgo."_

"_No!" Gemini shouted, clawing against his iron grip even harder to no avail. "Get out of my head!"_

"_At least the pain will go away," was all Nightmare said in return. "Even just a little bit of it."_

"Hey!" Vector shouted at the Ragnarok figure standing above Gemini. Nothing could be told about him, save for his long and elegant blue katana shoved in Gemini's back right along his spine. "What are you doing to him?"

"The process is done already, what a bore," was all the lazy agent said, pulling his blade from Gemini's back but somehow no blood coming out. He then pointed his blade at Vector before the crocodile charged at him.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: Yes, along with my new summary showing the multiple groups in this story Cyrus will be making his personal return. Yes, some of you loved him and some of you hated him. But he's gone through a major OC revision and is now much more balanced while retaining his sadistic coolness. And another chapter will be added to this arc, just to give better pacing before the plot changes up drastically. So hang tight for next chapter, Tactical Change!


	9. Tactical Change

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 9: Tactical Change

The figure leaped into the air over Vector's attack. The crocodile fist smashed into the floor, splinters flying up into the air. The figure twisted his body and kicked Vector in the face before flipping back onto the couch Gemini was on. Knowing that he could accidentally hurt Gemini if he tried to attack with his wide range the crocodile took a desperate move and pulled a large kitchen knife off the counter before throwing it directly at Cerebral. The Ragnarok agent's durable sword reflected the blade's path into the wall-the Ragnarok agent winced.

"Man, you're really mean, aren't you?" Cerebral whimpered teasingly. "If I owned this house, I would kick you out."

"Are you being serious right now?" Vector asked. "Get a hold of yourself!"

The crocodile turned up the dials on his headphones and revealed he had two small boom boxes on his waist. Sound waves shot out from all of them as the music was reduced to screeches that pushed Cerebral back off the couch. The agent got to his feet and sheathed his sword before clutching his ears-a few drops of blood came out of the darkness of his cloak.

"Now, take this!" Vector called out, leaping over the couch and picking him up.

With a heave the crocodile tossed him straight through the wall, causing him to tumble across the ground. Before he could fall off the cliff and towards the ocean the Ragnarok agent gained his wits back and stuck his durable sword into the ground, holding him up as he rolled across sturdy ground. Vector stood back as he got to his feet, already prepared.

"Don't be so brutal! I wasn't even allowed to kill that traitor, though I could have," the agent complained, pulling his sword out of the ground and holding it out in front of him at an angle. "By the way, the name's Cerebral."

"I couldn't care less about that, I'm going to beat you anyway," Vector said before opening his mouth and expelling a large, spherical fireball. "Crocodile Fireball!"

"What you just did should be impossible, but the Master did tell us that that's scientifically what chaos energy is: the ability to do the impossible," Cerebral commented, hopping to the side and narrowly avoiding the projectile but still finding his arm burnt.

"All that talking is making you slip up!" Vector said proudly before rushing forward with a Shoulder Bash that pushed even the air away.

Cerebral managed to slip under it, as it was powerful but had little range, and quickly stabbed out with accurate attacks from his sword before backing off. Vector swung around and backhanded him with his large hand, but the agent quickly responded by slashing out rapidly with numerous arcs. Vector avoided most but were cut by others. The agent then backed off a bit and swiped his sword at the ground, kicking up a wave of dust. Vector effectively blinded and spun around just for Cerebral to be right under him.

At this point the other heroes exited the workshop save for Alice, who was watching over Gemini and tending to his wound inside. The heroes tried to see through the cloud of dust but no avail.

"Yo Vector, you okay?" Knuckles questioned.

"I'm fine-wait-oh boy," Vector sighed.

"Focus Strike!" Cerebral shouted.

A sudden burst of energy pushed the cloud of dust out of the way for Vector sail through the as if he weighed nothing, crashing into the side of the workshop's roof and through it in the hangar bay. The heroes looked in shock, but they didn't have much time register what happened before Knuckles jumped into the fray, putting on his Shovel Claws in mid charge and interlocking battle with the sword wielding cloaked being.

Vector climbed through the hole in the wall, but took a breather before he entered the battle again; for some reason every strike of Cerebral's sword made him more and more tired. Did this have to tie in to the same power he used to throw himself through the workshop? If it did, the heroes may be in for something they can't handle.

"You are a very advanced fighter. Have you studied martial arts before?" Cerebral asked, ducking under another punch and lunging out with a sword strike only for Knuckles to block it off the edge of his Shovel Claws.

"How did you know?" Knuckles questioned, unleashing a brilliant short range Thunder Arrow which whizzed past Cerebral as he quickly propelled and flipped over Knuckles, landing behind him and unleashing another stab.

"Because I'm a practicer of them myself," Cerebral said as Knuckles knocked his sword and punched him in the gut, only for the swordsman to roll under Knuckles and hit him twice more in the back. Blinding white light shot through his head, and though those weren't even close to vital spots he felt so much more pain back there.

"Guess I'm...going to have a bit more of a challenge!" Knuckles grimaced.

The echidna spun around and aimed a Megaton Hook at Cerebral only for the agent to flip out of the way. But then Knuckles hit him with another one, sending him flying through the workshop and through the one other side, ripping through the kitchen out through the back wall. As he landed on the lower platform Vector followed him, unleashing burst of large bubble gum bombs. As the fireballs exploded within the bubble gum Cerebral spun around in a circle, his blade having the durability to deflect even the flames.

"Hey buddy, what are you doing to do now?" Tails questioned. Cerebral peered through the smoke to see the fox aiming at him with his Energy Cannon while Vector and Knuckles approached him from opposite sides. "We've got you surrounded!"

"It'd be useful to take this guy in," Vector smirked. "Team Chaotix could get a lot of money for giving his secrets to GUN!"

"That's a no can do, especially with my blade Mindspeed on me," Cerebral scolded playfully as Knuckles charged.

The agent leaped over him and stabbed him in the shoulder blade, causing him to mysteriously fall unconscious. The heroes watched horribly as he fell to the ground with a deafening thump and Vector punched out at the airborne enemy, only for him to flip over Vector, kick him in the back, and then stab him in the lower back. He then fell unconscious too before Tails fired a large Energy Sphere at him. The Ragnarok member held out his sword and used it to stab the attack, causing it to rupture in a cloud of energy that slightly burned him but did little damage.

By the time the smoke cleared the mysterious attacker was gone, leaving only his opponents to figure out what happened.

"Well that was weird, he definitely wasn't here to kill us like the other were before and he almost didn't want to be seen," Amy said.

"Yeah, was he some sort of assassin?" Charmy asked.

"It seemed that way, but according to Alice our rich friend wasn't even bleeding so he would be okay," Espio pondered.

"Wait, Gemini!" Knuckles shouted.

The heroes realized that they completely forgot about Gemini's critical state in the chaos that was the Ragnarok sneak attack. They all rushed into the damaged living room from Vector's rampage, to find Alice standing over him in worry. The hedgehog groaned and pushed himself up, and as sonic reached out to him he swatted his hand away, but opening his eyes in disbelief.

"No! Oh god, this is not good," Gemini said angrily. "I can't believe he could do that!"

"What happened?" Alice said worriedly, "Is everything okay?"

"Far from it," Gemini said. "somehow, Nightmare got inside my head and kept me asleep while Cerebral, I'm guessing from the way things look, came in here and messed with my head somehow."

"What did he do?" Tails asked. "Is his ability mental?"

"Yeah, it is. That's why he's so strong," Gemini nodded. "Everything from when I joined Ragnarok to right after I was in the helicopter is nothing but a blur-I can't remember a single thing. It hurts just to try and even pick it all apart. He put some sort of mind block on me."

"Dammit!" Sonic said, punching the wall angrily. "How could they have thought this far ahead?"

"I guess Nightmare knew that if you joined us then you would tell us everything you knew and so he sent someone right after to destroy your memories of Ragnarok," Tails analyzed. "I'm impressed. That's way better than anything Eggman has thought of."

"He did a rush job though thanks to Vector," Espio said. "I mean, he could still remember pieces of what happened, but not enough to figure stuff out."

"This is just great," Gemini said, struggling to stand to his feet but eventually gaining enough strength to do so. "I wanted to return to a normal life for once, but that's not happening now. I'm gonna go take a breather. Don't follow me Alice, maybe you can have a break of your own for once."'

The rosy and black hedgehog walked off, putting on a leather jacket to deal with the mild breeze of the afternoon. Alice shrugged despite his odd reaction and walked right out through the hole in the wall. The other heroes walked off while Espio carried the two unconscious fighters into the workshop to regain their strength.

"Whoa!" Tails said. "Man, fixing that wall is going to take so much work!"

"Vector was doing it to protect Gemini," Sonic replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's all good."

"No, it's not! That costs money!" Tails countered.

"Have GUN do it for you, they owe us a lot for all those times we helped them out," Sonic assured. "Like I said, it's all good."

"You're right, I guess. Besides, the weather isn't that bad," Tails smiled. "What are you doing to do until we meet up again?"

"I know exactly what I'm going to do so," Sonic answered, peering out the window at Amy by the rocks at the bottom of the cliff that held up the workshop and the runway. "As much as I don't want to admit it, I really do have a date."

The hedgehog sped up to Amy without warning and swept her off her feet, carrying her bridal style at supersonic speeds. As she gasped the two shot through the blurring world around them, going through the mines and to the gorgeous valleys above. Grass waved back and forth in the breeze as if they were the ocean's waves at the beck and call of the tide. The clouds sped by above and the sun glistened down in vibrant rays of pure light-it was truly a sight to behold.

Finally, they shot through a small spring full of rainwater and small waterfalls before going back into the ruins and then back out into the world. The lush cliff full of tall grass seemed to overlook the entire ocean and the jagged rocks below. The blue hedgehog set Amy down on the grass and plopped down next to her.

"You wanted a date, here you go," Sonic said. "Even though I move almost all the time, it's nice to have my own place to train and relax when I need that, you know?"

"This place is really nice..." Amy commented, sighing happily before turning to Sonic. "You're not mad at me?"

"Of course not!" Sonic replied. "It's all in the past."

"Gemini will probably kill me if he saw me dating anyone," Amy giggled. "I still remember Dexter...he went crazy on him."

"I thought you weren't really dating Dexter when we were fighting Ix?" Sonic questioned.

"I wasn't, but at one point I was dating a hedgehog named Dexter," Amy answered. "Everything was going great until Gemini found out. I haven't seen him since."

"Is your brother crazy?!" Sonic exclaimed, his eyes wide.

"A little, I guess," Amy chuckled. "You know, it is really nice watching the clouds. Even though the time flies by everything feels so still and perfect to me."

"That's the way it feels for me, which is crazy considering how fast I move," Sonic explained. "It's probably one of the only times I'm still besides when I sleep."

After that the two fell into silence in an embrace, watching the world move past them through the sky above. And for those precious moments, even though the world was in drastic danger, everything felt perfectly calm and at peace.

Except for two people.

"He's dead," Gemini said, his left eye twitching while Charmy chose to bother him and floated behind him. "No one dates my sister and gets away with it."

"You act like that's a bad thing!" Charmy chirped, almost drawing the attention of the two lovers. The rosy hedgehog swatted him away before he continued talking. "Isn't love the key to happiness?"

"Shut up, you ADHD bee!" Gemini hissed, covering Charmy's mouth. "Can't you see how much attention you're drawing?"

By the time he saw them kiss passionately under the late afternoon sun, he was ready to kill the blue hedgehog. But he wouldn't do it, at least not yet.

* * *

"Alright guys, it's time for our next plan of action," Tails said, the group of heroes sitting around the massive workshop where the young kitsune created his array of scientific innovations.

"I say we wait until we see one of those Ragnarok guys again and kidnap them," Knuckles said angrily, him and Vector now awake. "With Gemini's blurred memories and some interrogation, we can find out where they're coming from and beat them in no time."

"While that would be great, it seems illogical. We don't know if these people have ways to resist interrogation. I imagine that they do," Espio said. "If they didn't they wouldn't be this good."

"I guess you're right," Knuckles admitted. "We don't even know if could even reach their base."

"We should definitely go after those machines," Alice said, "It's part of their plan, right?"

"Yeah, it is," Gemini said, straining to remember. "They're collecting the energy from the disturbances, but to what end I have no idea."

"That's what I suspected in the first place," Tails said. "Do you guys think we should stop that first?"

"Considering the fact that we don't know anything else we could do against them then we should just try to stick with that," Sonic said.

"But Mr. Sonic, what if they're doing something else behind our backs and by the time we try to stop that it's too late?" Cream asked worriedly.

"Well, then we're screwed. But we have also have GUN, so it can't be that bad. We're not the only heroes in the world, you know," Sonic replied.

"So I guess we're going with that, then," Espio said. "We need to figure out who's going where."

"Well, Gemini's gotta go with someone even if he can't fight," Sonic said, Gemini glaring at him out of the corner of his eye. "I'll take him with me, and maybe he'll unlock some memories."

"Me and Vector are out then, I guess. We're way too injured, and we don't know enough to be of any use right now," Knuckles sighed. "Maybe we'll just train here."

"I'll take Cream and we'll take one of the disturbances," Amy offered, "if Cream's ready for that."

"I promise I won't be a burden, not with my new kick boxing skills and my chao!" Cream persuaded, all three of her chao nodding strongly in unison.

"Then that leaves me, Charmy, and Tails," Espio said. "I'll take Charmy, because he is on a serious sugar high and I don't want to put Tails through that. Then Tails can go on his own."

"Yeah, but remember guys, we're just going to destroy the machines and get out. Don't try to go into long battles with these guys or those Ragnarok Beasts," Tails said. "they have more knowledge than us and they have bigger numbers. We don't need anyone dying. It's not worth it, especially when we don't know how big of a deal these machines are."

"Guess that's it," Sonic said, pumping a fist in the air. "Tomorrow we set out and take these guys down!"

The other heroes cheered, knowing that they wouldn't stand down any longer. But in other places, things were afoot that they couldn't even begin to comprehend.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

Four cloaked figures from Ragnarok bowed down to the ominous figure on the throne like before. He paused for a moment, once again taking himself to a different place within his mind altogether before returning back to reality and waving out his hands. Four of the machines from before appeared in front of the cloaked figures, and each carried one in their hands as they stopped bowing.

"You know what to do," the figure said, his tone never changing from a cold, yet placid one in the slightest. The figures bowed before stepping through portals that suddenly appeared in front of them like pools to a different world.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: If you're reading this story, be sure to show your support by reviewing, and even if it's just to say good job or update soon. The first arc is over and the second begins, can the heroes handle what's planned for them at these disturbances? Hang tight for the next update, Hearts of the Chao!


	10. Premature Desperation

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 10: Desperation

**Location: Chun-Nan**

"The Chaos Control isn't as rocky these days," Cream said as Amy puked in the corner, wiping the sides of her muzzle and panting herself. "This time, we threw up slightly less, don't you think?"

"I think that was just because Sonic and Knuckles were doing it together," Amy grimaced, finally lifting her head. "And both of them are pretty bad. I think I still prefer it when Shadow does it. A lot."

"Yeah, you're right," Cream said, sighing to herself. "They've saved the world so many times together and they just can't figure one trick out?"

"I guess that's fine," Amy said, her sigh being much more happy as her mind wandered somewhere else. "The greatest thing happened to me yesterday before we left."

"Let me guess, Sonic gave you another grin and a thumbs up," Cream assumed.

"Nope," Amy said as they walked on a simple brick path in between the cherry trees as the sun fully rose over the tall mountain range in the distance. "Sonic took me on a date to this private spot of his where we watched the clouds on a cliff overlooking all of Mystic Ruins."

"Wow, that sounds so nice Amy!" Cream said. "Tell me all about it!"

And so she did. Even though Amy talked about Sonic half the time and constantly expressed her interests and fantasies with the blue hedgehog hero, Cream found this interesting. The way she described what happened, maybe it was true, maybe Sonic did love her back for once and everything Amy said would happen over the years wasn't just a way to block Sonic's rejections. Yes, Cream was a lot smarter than Amy thought, she just kept it to herself. Knowing that Amy was happy made Cream happy despite the way everything was happening and the huge danger they were heading towards, one which they may not even survive.

"I can't believe that Amy!" Cream squealed, her chao bouncing around her. "That's so great! So are you two like together?"

"I guess so," Amy shrugged. "Everything is gonna be all right for now, at least."

The rest of the world begged to differ. At that moment a stream of anthros and humans ran down the path and up to them, all in a panic and stricken with fear. Amy and Cream ran past all of them and prepared their attacks for whoever they were feeling from. But then all of a sudden they saw the real problem. The smoke from the raging fires and clouds of dust rose from the small marketing town up ahead which had the only passage up into the mountain. After feeling the disturbance once back in Empire City Amy and Cream would not mistake it again-they knew what was up ahead.

"What's the trouble?" Amy asked.

"These strange beasts are attacking the town and destroying everything! Only a few of us managed to get away. There are so many left in town with those mysterious hooded people and their beasts!" a woman cried out.

"Even Eggman has never taken his plans to this mindless chaos," a man shouted. "We can't fight back against them with those powerful people around!"

"We can help," Amy said, "Are there supplies there to put out the fires before they hit the farms?"

"There's a river by the town," another man answered.

"Okay, we can get the villagers to put out the first while we drive everyone else out," Amy offered. "Get to some place safe and try to get GUN."

"Are you sure they'll help?" a villager asked. "They don't exactly like those outside the United Federation."

"GUN really wants these guys gone," Cream nodded. "They'll even help you guys out to get it done."

The villagers then fled past them, leaving the female duo to face the anarchy that would lie ahead in the burning village. They ran down the path and across the river bridge, finding a sight to dread. Ragnarok Beasts flew and leaped all over the place, burning down everything with the flames from the inactive lanterns in the village and the oil with them. Villagers ran for their lives and tried to fight back, and most failed in both categories.

The females leaped forward, knocking creatures left and right in front of them in order to save two children being held in the corner by them. The two fox anthros fled across the bridge while the two tried to figure out where the Ragnarok agents would be, knowing that they would be protecting the machine which would be the key to stopping their diabolical agendas.

"It's so annoying," Amy moaned. "If this was Eggman, he would've been yelling so loud about world domination that we would know exactly where he was."

"Well maybe we just have to see the signs," Cream said. "There would be more monsters protecting the areas where the bad guys are, right?"

"Yeah, and they would also be higher up!" Amy exclaimed, pointing to a ladder on the ground, "Let's lift it up to go up to the roofs!"

But as the two moved towards the ladder lying on the ground a group of Aerux swooped down and hovered near them, their long swords gleaming in the light. Amy instantly summoned her hammer and leaped forward at the first few, but they quickly hopped away before coming at her with stabs. The hedgehog leaped up higher into the air and swung around with her hammer, knocking them all away.

"Just because Sonic's in love with me doesn't mean I'm still not ready to kick butt whenever it's needed!" Amy smirked, twirling her hammer stylishly above her head.

Amy landed on the ground and put her hammer away, using her kick boxing skills to take the rest around her out. Cream followed up by reflecting off of the sides of the buildings by using her ears as slings, commanding her chao while dodging the many blades coming at her. Before the Aerux could react a massive whirlwind rose up from the ground with her three chao at the center, tearing up all of the rest of the Ragnarok Beasts.

Knowing that more of the dastardly enemies would be arriving shortly due to the chao they created, Cream quickly had her chao use the whirlwind to raise the ladder while Amy batted two Nerux away. The two scrambled onto the roof before kicking the ladder down and leaping across the rooftops. To their dismay, they couldn't find an agent in sight-just some more unwanted Nerux. Amy quickly used a Storming Hearts to blow them away while the two looked around, finding smoke in their way. Though Cream looked down and saw people putting out the fires, it would be no use if they couldn't stop Ragnarok here and now.

"Oh come on!" Amy whined. "Where could they be? There's definitely more creatures around, but no one in sight."

"Weren't they at the highest point in Empire City, and didn't they attack Gemini and Alice from the top of the cliffs?" Cream questioned. "So, wouldn't they be at the highest point in the village?"

"You're right, Cream!" Amy realized, pointing up ahead.

Surely enough, two figures rested at the top of the small but elegant castle in the center of town, unaware of the heroes' presence and without a care in the world. Another one of the black and white machines drew in waves of chaos energy from the disturbances, all for their evil motives. After Cream used her chao to lock on to and destroy a Nerux in front of her they dashed across the rooftops, using propulsions from Amy's hammer to vault over the sides. Eventually the two reached the side of the castle.

A Guardian landed in front of them, holding a massive double sided sword with blue ribbons wrapping around the hilt and the guard. The large Ragnarok Beast roared and stomped down before swinging his sword surprisingly fast in a wide arc that sliced the air itself. Cream and Amy dodged the attack before trying to attack themselves, however they were pushed back by the roar to the Guardian-it moved even the wind itself. As both females were knocked down the beast loomed over them and mercilessly brought its sword down. But Amy quickly pushed herself and Cream out of the way before Amy leaped into the air and came down on the beast's head with a massive pink tornado surrounding her hammer-the beast instantly evaporated into white and black particles on contact.

"Let's go Cream, we don't have much time," Amy suggested.

Cream nodded and then the two ascended the side of the structure, Amy holding on to Cream's hands as she flew up with her chao. The ground became farther and farther below until they finally reached the top. Cream dropped Amy and panted heavily while Amy suddenly summoned her hammer once more. An agent sped across the ground towards her, his white tail lashing out in the air behind him as he leaped off all fours and spun around with his leg snapping out at her. The pink hedgehog did not know where he got his reflexes from, but it was too late for her to defend herself from the fatal blow.

* * *

**Location: Emerald Beach**

Espio and Charmy dropped down from the Chaos Control warp hole as it closed up behind him, leaving him in the warm sun of the greatest beach in the world. The sand rolled slightly from the mild breeze and the cerulean sea glistened with the rays of the sun above. Even with the massive skyscrapers and the city in the distance away from the beach it was still paradise. The ninja chameleon made sure he was stocked up on shuriken, tags, bombs and kunai hidden within his wrist and shin compartments before he walked along the side of the beach.

"My sensing skills should reveal the disturbance to me," Espio told himself, closing his eyes and using a simple hand sign to reveal it to him. "Don't distract me Charmy."

"Oh, fine," Charmy said, entranced by the glow of the glistening sea.

He turned to the left and opened his eyes as he walked along the desert, carefully following the trail of the unusually heavy chaos energy with Charmy following. Unlike the other heroes the chameleon took his time, knowing that here on the beach the Ragnarok agents could take their time and hide out someplace secluded without hurting anyone to get the attention away from them. All he had to do was arrive before the machine finished charging, and from that time in Empire City he knew it took a long time for it to fill.

A ninja's mind is a powerful thing.

He walked down the boardwalks and the sandy beach layers until the skyscrapers were not longer so close and people became more scarce. And that's when he saw them. Reach for a kunai in each hand he moved into a fighting position as the Ragnarok member got up and moved into a fighting position as well, cackling to himself.

"Well, it took you long enough. I was bored out of my wits and now I have to tense up all over again," the Ragnarok member complained as a bright and compact yellow energy rose off his illuminated form. "The name's Bang, and this is your demise!"

Instead of summoning some creatures to fend him off like Espio expected the Ragnarok member pulled out a long cannon off his back and held a spherical container in his hand. For some reason, Espio felt as big the battle would start with a bang, and it did as the ground exploded underneath him. Espio was completely taken over by the powerful blast right before he pushed Charmy out of the way, letting loose billowing smoke and bright yellow energy into the air.

* * *

**Location: Chun-Nan**

Amy blocked the kick off the side of her hammer before swinging out. But this Ragnarok member was much better than that and pushed off with his failed kick before rebounding off the ground on all fours and delivering a punch to her gut. Amy dropped her hammer as it disappeared and fell for a second before catching herself and staggering. The energetic Ragnarok member flipped back on his feet and crouched down, bouncing with excitement.

"Someone not feeling too good today?" the Ragnarok member laughed, flipping off his hood in an instant.

The monkey had light gray fur, almost white while his muzzle was a dark gray. His eyes were a light green, almost a jade color like Sonic's. His hair was cut short, with the ends left over curling backwards. He had a mild gray mane of fur which went from the very back of his head to the front of his chin and down to his chest that could be seen under the cloak.

"The name's Refuu the Monkey!" he screeched, doing another flip onto all fours. "Now, let's have some fun! No need for talking or introductions, just fighting!"

"That's all I needed too!" Amy said as she summoned her hammer once again. "So shut up and take the beating you get for hurting all of these people!"

"Oh, all we're doing is causing some chaos! No one died...yet," Refuu whined. "See, now I'm talking again. Let's just fight already."

The monkey bounded forward and whirled through the air, limbs flying. Amy blocked most of them with the hammer as he soared over her, but then as he landed behind her she was forced to swing her hammer around to block his powerful forward fist that punched the air aside. Amy quickly ducked under a high kick he unleashed by swing through the force of the punch, and swung her hammer around to knock him aside.

The monkey tumbled as the hammer collided with his body, but he quickly sprung up to his feet and barreled through the air like a like a drill with his fist forward. The blow knocked the wind out of Amy before he kicked her up into the air. The hedgehog cried out in pain but she couldn't block his blow and was therefore sent back down to the ground. She did have the hammer to block his kick but not the ground shaking impact to the Earth below.

"Amy!" Cream cried out, but before she could help she had the summon all three of her chao to form a shield of rotating energy in front of her.

The kick from the other Ragnarok agent bounced off of it and knocked him back before Cream snapped her ears out to grab him before she shot forward like a slingshot and kicked him directly in the chest. The Ragnarok member flew back as Cream landed with her chao surrounding her, ready for the next attack.

"Remember me? Oh yeah, you never fought me back in Empire City," Leo chuckled, pulling off his hood to reveal his armor like skin once again. "Those chao can hit me much harder together than any normal person could, and you know how to take advantage of those long ears. But it was big strain, wasn't it?"

"Even if it was, I can handle it!" Cream promised, panting slightly as her ears drooped. "What are you made of, anyway?"

"If you knew, you would be too surprised," Leo said, and then stopped speaking.

Suddenly he held his hands out in front of himself and spewed, surprisingly, a wave of magma from his hands. Cream and her chao leaped back as the magma rolled along towards them, before flying when they realized it wasn't cooling under them. Leo then had the magma rise off the ground again and come up under them but Cream flew back and forth, dodging the heavy arrows of volcano-hot magma.

The rabbit wiped the sweat off her brow before charging forward in the window that Leo had to take to recall his magma. But it was a trap. The magma suddenly spun around and knocked Cream back, burning her slightly before the magma returned to Leo even faster than before despite how heavy it was.

The rabbit moaned as she rose again, her Chao attaching to her and trying to heal her injuries. But despite this Leo charged for her again, and she was completely defenseless in the face of his overwhelming power.

There would be some long fights to come.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: Yes, this took a lot longer than I thought it would. Because I planned out all of the character relations, plots developments, and all the other little tidbits that separates a really planned story from that idea someone just thought of one day. But it will all be worth it, and as some character connections will form that have never appeared in any other story I have ever written, besides my manuscript which was another reason for this late update...

...Yes, I'm rambling. Also, please review, I appreciated all of the new reviewers and I hope you like this story even more by the end of this new arc here. It is always nice to hear from that one person who can say something really valuable about your story and push you forward. Hang tight for the next update, which really will be called Heart of the Chao, sorry for the chapter name change!


	11. Hearts of the Chao

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 11: Heart of the Chao

**Location: Chun-Nan**

Amy staggered back as Refuu hit her with multiple blows. They were almost invisible, mere blurs smashing into her before the monkey would back up slightly and hit her again. Finally he leaped up and spun around with multiple kicks. The hedgehog flew into the air and tumbled across the edge of the roof, tiles kicking up around her. The Rose hedgehog quickly lashed both of her arms out to grab onto the edge as the tiles and her hammer fell down to the ground far below, the wind swaying the pink anthro back and forth. Refuu appeared at the top of the ledge and stared down at her, his fang like teeth protruding from his mouth as he grinned at her.

"I may not have powers like your hearts, but I have one thing you couldn't match with your lack of attack speed," Refuu snickered "I use my chaos energy to power up my physical strikes which already have plenty of speed behind them. You never stood a chance!"

"It doesn't make sense," Amy gritted, trying to pull herself up. "Why do you need all of this energy for? Why are these disturbances happening, anyway?"

"Who knows? The Master won't tell us, all we know is that they're going to keep getting bigger and bigger until something happens. I don't really pay attention anyway," Refuu answered. "But it doesn't even matter, I'm a comic book villain who's supposed to tell you everything."

"But you did," Amy said, unimpressed.

"Don't mock me!" Refuu shouted. "I can send you falling to your death!"

"Um, behind you."

That was when Refuu realized that in his talking Amy moved behind him with a large steel green hammer in her hand. He turned around and tried to kick the hammer away but this one was too strong. The blow Amy smashed into him released a wave of hearts with it in a Hammer Tornado that carried Refuu all the way off the roof before dropping him. The monkey cried out as he fell to the ground far below, and Amy instantly turned to Cream and Leo intertwined in a flurry of close combat.

The hedgehog used the last of the strength in her massive green and pink hammer to send a Hammer Tornado at Leo. It was much harder to lift Leo's harder exterior up but all the same he was still sent flying into the side of the central tower, spewing up a cloud of smoke in his wake. Cream ran to Amy as she allowed the massive hammer to fade into hearts, as the larger version of her weapon used up a lot of her energy.

"Are you okay?" Cream asked.

"Yeah, just a little tired. I need my energy to recharge, cause I've been using up a lot of it just to keep up with that crazy monkey," Amy nodded. "These Ragnarok agents are stronger than any of Eggman's crazy robots."

"You're right, if it wasn't for my chao I still would've been done for," Cream agreed. "Even with three of them I'm still losing by far. We should just focus on destroying that machine."

"That's not going to happen any time soon!"

Amy and Cream leaped back as Refuu climbed up using his monkey climbing abilities, dropping to the ground on all fours. He leaped forward in a Pummeling Drill, limbs flying with chao energy augmenting his every blow. Amy and Cream took a few before leaping out of the way, and did so once again as he came around and repeated the attack. Amy moved in front of Cream and summoned her trusty Piko-Piko Hammer in a shaft of hearts, but then Cream faced her back to Amy's as Leo emerged from the dust, mostly unharmed save for a few cracks in his rock hard outer layer.

"I think our luck is running out here, Cream," Amy said, clenching her hammer tightly as pink ribbons of energy flew off of it. "Just when Sonic finally started to like me..."

"What? We can't give up!" Cream exclaimed. "Not when this town and the world needs us the most!"

"You're right, Cream, but I don't know a single way to beat both of these guys. We barely know anything about their powers, after all," Amy countered.

Cream was tempted to shed tears, but she held them back, readying her chao for what could be her final stand. She clenched her eyes tightly, and then something that was painful yet enlightening to her came back to her all at once, her eyes truly filling with tears as she realized it was not the end for them yet.

* * *

**Location: Apotos**

"That was the worst," Gemini hissed, landing from the portal and panting heavily. "With my injuries, that could've seriously messed me up."

"Well I can't run all the way across seas and that was even faster than me," Sonic said.

"Fine, I guess you're right," Gemini admitted. "But don't be too rough with me around. I just got beaten to a pulp by a slut ferret and then stabbed by a wolf who lacks balls. Alice will throw a fit I get hurt any more."

"I'm a hero, so I can do most of the fighting," Sonic offered. "You could watch out for me though."

"Sounds riveting," Gemini said sarcastically, while Sonic just rolled his eyes.

The blue hedgehog could get along with just about anyone, but Gemini wasn't making it a simple matter. His constant rejection of any and all attempts at friendliness or humor made by the Blue Blur was frustrating, to say the least, and it was hard to get Sonic angry. Massive, dark rain clouds swirled overhead and a heavy downpour cascaded on the marble streets, arches, buildings, and pillars. Most people stayed off the streets, knowing the being so close to the sea made the storm quite dangerous, especially considering the lightning.

The million of volts of electricity streaked across the sky before crashing down to the Earth and impacting against the marble ground. The world lit up and the two hedgehogs walked forward along the winding pathways. The warm lights from inside the houses with all of the families sitting around their fires made Sonic incredibly jealous as he wiped a hand through his matted fur-he really wished he was back at Tails' Workshop right now.

"The disturbance is close...I can sense it," Sonic said.

"You're right. The air is so thick with chaos energy. You could only find this much in a living person who has a strong ability, and yet this energy is everywhere," Gemini said. "I bet I could use this to heal myself a bit."

The two kept walking down the pathways, going deeper into the heart of the city. Eventually they found themselves walking through a massive garden, huge walls rising to their sides. The shadow from the walls concealed the area in front of the two, only the occasional lightning burst revealing the walkway.

"It feels weird in here," Sonic said. "Like something is going to happen."

"It's sad that you believe in such weak feelings. If you aren't precognitive then there is no way of knowing," Gemini replied coldly.

"If I'm right, and I don't want to be, then you owe an a hundred rings," Sonic tempted slyly.

"Deal! I never lose a bet," Gemini boasted in return. "Maybe you're not totally annoying if you can work up my alley every once in a while."

In those next few moments Gemini lost one of the incredibly few number of bets he lost in his life. The next time the lightning faded a beautiful green butterfly floated there, rays of light radiating from her flashing green, yellow, and blue wings made of energy. The glow of her violet eyes entranced the two heroes, who stood there paralyzed to the rainy ground they stood on. As she looked towards Sonic, the world, including the Rose hedgehog standing next to him seemed to dim-fading into dark, the lightning becoming a small buzzing in the background the blue hedgehog could easily ignore. He felt as if he was subject to her, floating in her personal darkness.

"You have become the world's savior many times before. But the world is about to change drastically. Still, there is something different about you. You have many gifts, most of which you do not know of yet," the butterfly said.

Her light, caring voice seemed to soothe Sonic from the unusual situation, but then he looked at her clothing and the hood that covered her face, and suddenly a Sonic Wind was swirling around his open hand.

"Are you one of those Ragnarok guys? We'll finish you in seconds! You can count them down!" Sonic promised. Gemini looked out ahead and did not stay anything, dimmed out with the rest of the world.

"I was of many things," the butterfly said cryptically. "But now I am of almost nothing."

"So I guess you're not," Sonic said, dispelling his great attack. "I don't know how to beat these Ragnarok guys. They're the greatest threat I've ever seen. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to save all of these people, especially Amy?"

"Sometimes, despite all of your gifts, you will still face sacrifice, and sometimes you have to give in," the butterfly said. "Goodbye, Sonic the Hedgehog. Hopefully you will not fail the world in it's final moments."

"I guess moments in the Earth's time could mean a real while, but what do you mean?" Sonic asked. "Tell me! You can't just leave me with all of this pressure and not tell me what to do!"

But the butterfly was already gone. The world came back in full force with the lightning shooting down at the other end of the valley and disrupting the once peaceful wind. Gemini panted heavily and caught himself on the side of the wall to keep from falling. Sonic made sure he could help him up before the two continued to walk forward, not a word being exchanged between them due to the things Sonic saw. All the same Gemini still gave him ten of the larger rings, owning up to his fault.

"Did you see what I saw?" Sonic asked.

"No, what did you see?" Gemini questioned in response.

"A butterfly, talking to me about this whole worldly crisis thing," Sonic explained, Gemini went pale. "What, did you see the butterfly too? What did she tell you?"

"Nothing!" Gemini hissed, recoiling at the questions. "You just freaked out and I felt a little out of it, but that's all! Butterflies don't just show up, give a message, and disappear into thin air!"

"Fine," Sonic said, but still a little curious due to his reaction.

But as the blue hedgehog turned away, Gemini looked back. The butterfly stood over him, floating and completely translucent. The rosy and ebony hedgehog glared at her before Sonic turned around, staring where Gemini was and seeing nothing.

"Oh come on crazy, there's no one there," Sonic said, Gemini flinching slightly and looking at him.

"You really startled me. Come on, let's get moving, Ragnarok should be almost done by now," Gemini advised.

Sonic nodded, and the two ran down the pathway, following the rays of chaos energy from the disturbance as it got stronger and stronger. They turned around corners, turned back the way they came, and continued running on and on through the labyrinth of corridors. Gemini grew weary due to his injuries, but he still kept up with Sonic, knowing that if they missed Ragnarok now he wouldn't get the information he needed to restore his memory.

Finally, just as they were ready to give up they entered the main hall of the garden like area. A massive marble fountain shot water up into the air, falling back down to the earth just like the rain. Flowers, vines, and roots curled through each other and the iron gratings that guided their paths, circling all the way around the massive clearing. The center of the garden was still open to the sky however, making it much lighter than the corridors they were in before. Rain crashed down around them but it did not detract their focus from their target in front of them.

"Oh boy," the female voice of the cloaked being sighed. "I thought you guys wouldn't make it, but you did. I can't get any good luck."

"I don't know who she is, but she isn't familiar," Gemini said. "She's not in my memories at all."

"Do you think she replaced you since you left?" Sonic wondered, still keeping his eyes on the female Ragnarok member.

"Maybe. I won't put it past Ragnarok to have someone already ready. But she sure is a lazy one, I thought they could do better than that," Gemini sneered.

"Normally I wouldn't want to get any Ragnarok agent angry but she seems like nothing special to me," Sonic snickered, playing along with the Rose hedgehog's tactics for once. "Just a substitute."

"I see you're trying to get me angry, but I couldn't care about what you think," she said tiredly, before looking back at the machine which had a pure white glow. "Oh look, it's fully charged."

"Now you're not!" Sonic shouted.

The Blue Blur charged forward in a streak of azure that ripped right through the heavy rain as he made a beeline for the Ragnarok member. Blue winds swirled around his hand as he raised an arm up to meet the side of the Ragnarok agent's face. But as she turned to raise a foot up to his face the hedgehog flipped to the side as a wave of Dark Cannon shots from Gemini headed towards her. The cloaked being flipped over and rolled under most of the attacks with surprising agility, but then Sonic headed at her again. The cloaked female looked with surprise as he flipped over her to come down on the machine, but the female merely smirked.

"Solar Orbit."

A wave of golden flames suddenly blasted out from the female in all directions, touching and incinerating everything within its grasp before blowing it away. The blue hedgehog was hit by the edge of the blast and thrown away, burns covering most of his chest. He tumbled across the ground before crashing into the wall while Gemini panted heavily from using his powerful attack while injured. The Ragnarok member snickered and opened up a black and white whirling vortex of unstable energies before looking back and realizing what happened.

"Shit, the Master's gonna kill me. I was always known for being a bit on the clumsy side. Oh well, one machine isn't gonna kill Ragnarok's plans," the female agent sighed before jumping through the portal with the remains of the Energy Capturing Machine (ECM). "So long, boys. Here's a gift for you."

"What gift?" Sonic questioned while Gemini face palmed.

In front of them a massive black and white vortex opened, about ten times the size of the one she just used. Waves of energy and a roar came from inside it while the earth shook below. Then the massive Ragnarok beast emerged from the shadows of the portal.

"You just had to ask, you idiot hero."

* * *

**Location: Chun-Nan**

"_I have to go on another mission Cream," the tall green rabbit said, holding the cheek of the young peach furred rabbit. He had on his GUN Commander uniform with his spy mask hanging in the grasp of his other hand. A green hero chao with blue highlights and a GUN badge on its chest floated in the air next to him, waving bye to Cheese as it was the only chao Cream had at the time. "I'll be sure...to come back soon."_

"_I'm tired of you always leaving," Cream pouted. "And I heard you and Mommy talking. This mission is different than the other ones...isn't it?"_

"_Yes. I'm going to be doing something that I should not be doing and is very dangerous, but it is for the greater good," he said. "If I succeed then maybe I'll be around more, and you could think of your Father Mintra and his chao Chaosky as a big hero."_

_But despite all of this Cream could see the downcast look of her mother in the doorway, her chao Chaberry also by her side, and she could still tell that Mintra was saying all of this to make her feel better. But the Mintra lifted her chin to stare into his calming cerulean eyes, and he gave a such a reassuring smile._

"_Let me tell you something about chao before I leave," Mintra said, which caused Cream to gasp slightly. "A Chao's greatest power are their bonds. Whether it is to their human or anthro partners or to other chao, their bonds are so great that it can form a power on par with the strongest of anthro bonds. Maybe you should try to see if your chao can form an even more special bond with you, or maybe to the other chao in our garden."_

"_Okay! I'll try my best!" Cream promised._

"_I'll show you more of how I do it when I get back," Mintra offered. "And I promise you, and your mother, that I'll be back."_

_The rabbit got up and kissed Vanilla before e walked out of the door and into the taxi waiting for him. The dusk began to set to a peaceful night and Vanilla and Cream had hope. Maybe things would turn out differently this time and they could all live peacefully without the fear of the tyrant GUN officials over Mintra's head, and in a way, theirs._

_That peaceful, warm summer night was the last time they would ever see Mintra the Rabbit, wife of Vanilla and father of Cream. When he disappeared without a trace, but of them kept up a search, but to them it became clear that it did not work, that he was dead and forgotten. Even when GUN changed and more peaceful leadership came in power, Mintra would still be forgotten to the world, or at least dead to it._

"I will honor his memory!" Cream said, tears pouring from her eyes before she opened them. Her amber eyes were glowing and glistening, and so were the eyes of her chao. "Chao Call!"

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: When I was writing this chapter (and Kaous, how did you know what this would be about? Gosh!), I realized my writing has evolved a lot, cause there was some serious emotion in the middle and the end. That has always been a real challenge for me here. The next chapter will wrap up two of our scenarios and work with our other two which will lead to the introduction of some really cool heroes in the chapter after that, which will get crazy. Please, please, please review, you guys don't understand how much feedback really helps. Hang tight for the next great chapter!


	12. Defying Damnation

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 12: Defying Damnation

**Location: Chun-Nan**

"Chao Call!"

At first, nothing happened. But then all four of the combatants could hear a soft buzzing in the air, coming in from all sides. After a few seconds the cries of a typical chao could be heard, which eventually got louder and louder. Before any of them could react a massive swarm of chao formed a protective barrier around Amy and Cream. Hundreds of them of all different types and colors came to their side much like Cheese, Chacola, and Chanilla would, calling out with the very same cry so familiar to the two heroes.

"What the hell?" Leo said, shock present in his voice. "How did she call so many?"

"Maybe there's a Chao Garden around here or something, but that's messed up," Refuu said, crouching down and bouncing with worry as the chao formed a massive rotating sphere around the two females. "Man, how are we supposed to take on so many?"

"Wait for her to attack, then we'll avoid them all and take the two on," Leo offered. "It'll be hard for them to move without bumping into the chao they called, which I still think is pretty crazy."

"I don't know what you just said, but I'll follow your lead. The number of chao doesn't change the fact they're still gonna loose!" Refuu shouted.

"How...did you do this, Cream?" Amy asked, amazed by the impressive feat she pulled off.

"I don't know, but Daddy was right. My chao were able to form bonds with all of these chao linking back to me," Cream said. "I'm gonna attack now Amy, if they manage to get near us use the hammer."

"Okay, I trust you," Amy nodded, clutching the shaft of her hammer tightly.

"Here we go, Chao Meteor!" Cream bellowed.

In that instant every chao, including Cream's three ones, formed the pulsing blue waves of the chaos energy unique to chao and Chaos around them before shooting forward and leaving comet trails behind in their wake. Leo used his magma to blast many of them away but others replaced them as they recovered, bashing into Leo's rock hard exterior before the ones he knocked away joined them. He continued to punch and kick many away but eventually he was lost in the wave of chao around him.

Cream then used her control to point at Refuu, the chao near him reacting with much more force and trying to hit him more and more. He used impressive agility to dodge every single chao coming at him even as more came. He moved left and right, cartwheeling, flipping, and rolling out of the way as the tiles of the roof cracked under his feet. He was hit by a few, but then he staggered back and got back into the rhythm of the battle, avoiding the missile like chao while dashing from place to place.

"Don't count me out yet!" Leo called out.

The lion released a wave of magma at the chao, trapping many as it solidified while burning others. He jumped out of the way of another barrage, but he just didn't have enough agility. He quickly recalled most of the magma as a shield, but that was his final mistake. As the magma solidified around him Cream raised her other hand towards him and clenched it. In that instant the chao broke out of the magma before smashing their way through the shield and to him, waves of smoke kicking up as the chao repeatedly smashed him into the roof and eventually through it. More went down after him, increasing the damage as he descended to the next floor.

"Look out!" Amy shouted, jumping in front of Cream and using her hammer to knock away Refuu.

The energetic monkey came back around for another combination of blows but then the chao knocked him back, the agent tumbling across the ground. Cream then twisted her arms before aiming them at Refuu, calling upon a Chao Tornado from her three chao. As he was effortlessly lifted into the air other chao joined in to make the tornado even stronger, winds blowing the tiles of the roof away while the tall trees shook. As he floated in the middle of the wind like attack the rest of the chao not forming a shield around the hero duo attacked him, causing a scream to erupt from within. Tons of chao energy forced down upon him before he fell through the roof as well, crashing down below.

"Well, that worked well," Amy said. "If that's an understatement. I still don't get how you did that."

"I guess I had to get over those memories to help. And it did," Cream stated.

"You mean about Mintra?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, and it doesn't bother me a bit anymore," Cream said, smiling.

The two then walked over to the machine, only to find despite the fact it wasn't fully charged it wasn't there. The two looked down into the holes to find a few portals closing up while a hole in the roof was left where the machine was. Amy could tell Refuu punched through the roof to get to the machine before they made their hasty ans sneaky retreat. And despite the fact that Ragnarok still got away with a bit of the disturbance energy, Cream was happy knowing that in the end they gained the strength to beat at least some of Ragnarok and get over her own past.

In many ways things couldn't have turned out better.

* * *

**Location: Apotos**

Sonic knew the Ragnarok Beasts were much stronger than your average Egg Pawn, but he didn't know that included creatures like the one that appeared from the massive Warp Portal in front of the Blue Blur.

"Oh boy," Gemini said. "This is not good. I think I want the Ragnarok bitch back."

"It's a little too late for that," Sonic replied, blue winds forming around both of his arms.

"You know, this was your fault. If you didn't rush in we would still be halfway okay," Gemini accused. "Sure, that was one stupid girl, but your lack of intelligence didn't help things."

"Well you did back me up with those dark projectiles!" Sonic countered. "Besides I don't know why you're blaming me."

"Well, for one I hate your guts, and two, no one kisses my sister and gets away with it!" Gemini snapped. "Besides, maybe you should focus before we both die, cause this thing's first priority is not some machine, it's killing us!"

The hulking monstrosity in front of Sonic made him wish he was back in the days where it would just be one of Eggman's wacky robot mechs.

The beast's entire lower body was a massive black tail with white lines separating its different parts. The tail then moved up and became the chest of the beast which was covered by layers of white armor with black lightning bolt like shapes. Two massive torn devil-like wings sprouted from its back and stretched out far to each side of the garden while its huge arms ended in long, deadly sharp claws. The beast also had massive, beady navy blue eyes with black in the empty space. The beast had a massive jaw lined with fang like teeth, and its head ended in flame like pieces of flesh and blood. In each hand was a massive blue blade with a white guard and golden ribbons around the guard and hilt.

The Ragnarok Beast known as the Executioner let out a terrifying mix between a screech and a roar that only intensified the powerful winds from the storm entrapping the city. Sonic flipped back for caution as the beast swiped its sword out menacingly, slithering across the ground towards the two heroes.

"What's the plan, Gemini?" Sonic asked.

"I'll stay back pick him off with a Dark Cannon while you get all up close and personal like you said you would!" Gemini offered before retreating to the other side of the garden, taking a low stance and charging up waves of black chaos energy around his body.

Sonic was about to say something about his lack of bravery but he quickly flipped back multiple times as the beast slithered across the ground and unleashed a burst of sword slashes. The azure anthro then quick stepped to the side, displacing his afterimage as the beast sliced it down the half. The blade shattered the ground in its wake and spread a series of webbing cracks out from it. Sonic leaped off the ground and curled into a ball, however the Homing Attack bounced off of the creature harmlessly. The Executioner then opened its mouth wide and unleashed a wave of flames from its mouth at Sonic.

"Someone's real angry!" Sonic said nervously.

"I got you!" Gemini said, releasing his attack.

The famous hero gulped and used a Bounce Attack to leap above the attack before a wave of dark projectiles smashed against the side of the Executioner's head. The large Ragnarok Beast roared angrily before turning to Gemini. He slithered towards him, but then stopped at still a fair distance away before swiping out with both swords in the air. The attacks full of energy lingered in the air before the X-formation crescents shot at him. Sonic leaped in the path with two Sonic Winds and smashed them against the combined attack. Energy launched in all directions due to the impact of the attacks before they both evaporated. But then the beast emerged through the smoke and slashed across with both swords again. Blood spewed into the air as Sonic tumbled across the ground, two gashes in his sides.

"You idiot! I had enough strength to dodge that on my own!" Gemini berated.

"I couldn't take the risk. You know Alice would murder me," Sonic grinned, springing to his feet.

"Well, that's true," Gemini muttered. "But that won't matter, cause you did go on a date with Amy so I have to kill you."

"Your family is insane. She wants me with her, you want me away with her," Sonic joked. "Like you guys need to decide what you want Amy to do already!"

"Um, Sonic, back to action!" Gemini shouted.

The two turned back to the Executioner, who expelled a blast of flames onto its swords. Suddenly the blue swords turned red and glistened with searing hot fire. The two leaped to the sides as both swords came down, scorching through the ground by the cracks that came out from the impact. Gemini rolled away before holding his arm up. Black energy encircled it rapidly before becoming very sharp and radiating dark chaos energy. The Rose hedgehog then jumped up and unleashing his other copy, both using the Dark Cutter on the tail. Black lines ripped through the tail as it fell off, the beast screeching in agony as pure black blood spurted up into the air like a fountain.

"Good job, Gemini! I'll take this from here!" Sonic said. "Light Attack!"

In that instant afterimages appeared all around the Executioner, azure streaks ripping the ground apart as Sonic circled and circled. He came in close and delivered a flurry of blows before backing off and doing the same thing all over again just to toy with the monster. Gemini shot in a few more dark energy blasts using his Dark Cannon before the blue hedgehog's rotation of afterimages melded into a full on cyclone of blue. The beast managed to break through the Sonic Tornado formed by the Light Attack and the afterimages with slashes of flames from its blades, but by that point it was too late.

"Sonic Storm!" Sonic bellowed from above the beast. As it looked up at him, it was already too late as the hedgehog utilized the air and gravity around him, smashing the attack into the Executioner.

A massive burst of wind shot out in directions from the center of impact, the plants in the garden blowing about. The monster screeched out as the brilliant light from the attack pounded into its head along with all of the blue wind within. But despite the powerful attack which broke apart the garden as they were in it, it seemed as if the beast would survive-even though it dropped its blades it still ready to unleash a blast of flames from its mouth. But then Sonic grinned, and pulled out the hand hanging by his side.

"If you think I'm done...you've got another thing coming, big guy!" Sonic grinned.

He slammed the second Sonic Wind into the Executioner, amplifying the impact of the first as winds equal to the force of hurricanes whipped about, making the storm around them look like nothing in comparison. The beast screeched out in agony as its outer layer was ripped apart starting from the head, before the rest of its body was shredded. Finally all of the air released from the impact in a massive burst of azure winds, instantly evaporating the rest of the Ragnarok Beast's body into a large cloud of black and white particles which faded into the air.

"Well...I guess there is a reason why you are a hero," Gemini admitted. "But I still hate you and your guts."

"The feeling is mutual, but you did provide some good support," Sonic said, pulling out the yellow chaos emerald as sunlight began to peek through the clods and the downpour became a small drizzle . "Let's get out of here. Chaos Control!"

And in a magnificent flash of yellow chaos energy both of the fighters disappeared.

* * *

**Location: Radical Highway, Central City**

The yellow fox leaped back into the air as two golden blades impacted the ground near him. Rocks rose up into the air before the Ragnarok jackal punched his fists forward towards Tails, shock waves radiating from them hurling the rocks through the air at the fox genius. The fox landed and leaped from side to side and using his tails to swoop in different directions to avoid the rocks. As he landed Aersus picked his weapon out of the ground and charged at Tails.

"You heroes don't stand a chance against, me not after what you've taken away from me!" Aersus howled.

The fox yelped before collecting himself as energy radiated out of the barrel of his Energy Cannon. Rapid lasers which looked like small energy arrows up close pierced through the air, tearing up the ground on the way to Aersus. The jackal held both of his blades up in front of him effortlessly, still charging forward while the lasers came upon him. Some scorched him while others reflected off his swords and slowed him down. But all the same he still rushed forward, his determination fueling his strength.

Tails pressed a button on his Energy Cannon as a Plasma Blade formed, using it to clash with both of Aersus's blades. The jackal snarled angrily and reeled both swords back before slamming them down rapidly. Tails panicked and leaped back before his blade was broken by the Ragnarok jackal's intense force, but not before he dropped multiple rings at Aersus feet. Moments later Aersus was enveloped in a powerful explosion, clouds of smoke rising from where he was. But before they faded into smoke a burst of pressure shot out from where Aersus stood, the jackal flying out from the explosion and through the air above the highway as the smoke rose up.

"He deflected the explosion with a kinetic blast to push himself out of the way?" Tails deducted.

"You're weak! Told you I was gonna beat you!" Aersus cackled.

He landed effortlessly on top of the highway tunnel's roof, right past the toll booths. Tails then flew onto the toll booths, withdrawing his Plasma Blade from his Energy Cannon and deciding to play it long range.

"What does Ragnarok want, creating all this chaos and gathering all of this energy?" Tails questioned.

"Is that why you're still fighting me even though the machine's charged and already gone?" Aersus glared. "You think you're going to just pound the answers out of me, keep me hostage? Is that what you're doing to Gemini? Brainwashing him?"

"I just want to know why you're causing all of this suffering!" Tails exclaimed. "And besides, Gemini came of his own will! You're still here too, right? You could just teleport, but instead you're trying to kill me!"

"Shut up! I'm here, because if I can kill you, if I can cause that blue hedgehog suffering for allowing Gemini to leave us, then maybe Gemini will see the error of his ways," Aersus yelled, unstable balls of kinetic energy forming at the tips of his blades. "And trust me, I won't be telling you anything!"

"Do you understand how little sense that makes? Even if you did so, it wouldn't mean anything to Gemini. Did you know that your wolf friend stabbed him in the back and erased his memories of Ragnarok? He doesn't even know who you are anymore," Tails explained, to Aersus's shock.

"Stop telling me these lies!" Aersus screamed, holding both his blades forward at Tails. "This will end NOW!"

And then in that instant, as Tails tried to charged up a blast to counter, he saw how strong his attack would be and realized he was about to meet his end,

* * *

**Location: Emerald Beach**

Espio held a kunai in each hand, running at Bang as the cavern he fell into collapsed in yet another explosion. Smoke and debris kicked up and left and right as Bang continued to fire his own raw energy from the cannon. Finally he managed to rush to Bang's side, swiping out with both of his kunai. But then Bang blocked the weapons with his massive cannon before snapping his fingers, creating two explosions that did no damage but still pushed his opponent back.

"You sure are a strong one, I'll give you that. You took two of my explosions like a real man while those other two GUN soldiers just burst like bubbles," Bang laughed. "It was quite funny, their insides shooting straight out. Did you know a person's intestines could stretch across a city if fully unbundled?"

"You're sick," Espio merely said before pulling out a scroll as holding it in his hand signs. Suddenly the earth under bang rose up as spikes, shooting towards him. "Earth Style: Land Spikes!"

The falcon merely smirked and fired at the ground, pushing himself unharmed and out of the way. The spikes simply curled into each other and tore themselves apart as they missed the Ragnarok agent, and Espio slightly swore to himself. He wasn't very proficient at Earth Style ninja jutsus, especially compared to his Fire and Wind Styles. He reminded himself he would have to get better at them for the next battle. The chameleon leaped onto the sand Bang was on before sending a wave of shuriken at him; most them missed due to the explosion that suddenly burst out from Bang, pushing Charmy who was trying to sneak behind him and cover his vision away.

"You have many tools, but clearly I know how to use mine better. That was why I was always better than that so called 'Dynamite' that was my cousin," Bang snickered as Charmy flew back over to Espio, panting in exhaustion

"Wait, you knew Bean? Him, Bark, and Fang caused so many problems for our team in the past," Espio said. "I mean, we always won, but they made things real annoying."

"He was always kind of psychotic. I mean, I am too, but that kid's so annoying even psychos like me would kill him," Bang said. "But enough with the reminiscing. It's time to end this!"

The falcon began loading his spherical bombs into his cannon, and Espio knew it would be a deadly combination. The chameleon grabbed Charmy and turned invisible before running and diving to the ground as he pulled the trigger.

The explosion was bigger than any of the ones before, the raw yellow energy blowing the sand in all directions into the air, along with the water. The roar of the attack easily overcame the noises of the city at dawn, the sand eventually falling back down to the earth as numerous shadowed figures emerged from the descending blankets of sand.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: One more chapter left, and we conclude this short arc and moved the one of the biggest ones in the story. Just a favor, if you readers can advertise this story to get more reviewers, I would love you and even send you an OC to use or a cool story idea. Because I really need new reviewers who will actually follow this story chapter to chapter. When I type up 3,500+ words a week, I like it all to go to good use, you know? But anyhow, the last chapter of this arc will leave you hungry for the next one, as I set up lots of old, forgotten characters not seen since the 2D days and new ones too, along with Eggman coming back into the mix. Hang tight for the next update, Frontline!

Also, on another note, this is my longest chapter ever at 4,000 words!


	13. Frontline

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 13: Frontline

**Location: Emerald Beach**

"Who are you?!" Bang said.

"I'm just here to make sure no one good gets hurt, that's all," a female voice declared, rushing towards the Ragnarok falcon, "and right now you seem to be the one causing the trouble!"

Suddenly a green shaft formed in the female anthro's hands, before expanding backwards into a massive crescent. The female smashed the scythe against the cannon once to find it wouldn't break, so she leaped back and swung her scythe through the air in an arc, trying to go around Bang's guard. The falcon leaped back and the first scythe hit the ground near him, but then he looked back. Footsteps hit the ground past the sounds of the cascades of sand and smoke still falling before the female leaped up into the air behind the falcon and hurling a double ended blade through the air.

The falcon cried out as the weapon pierced his shoulder blade, blood falling to the ground before he tumbled across the sand. He got back up quickly before ripping the weapon out of his back and spinning around to toss it like a lance at his attacker. But right before it hit her the weapon burst around the female before she removed the lime green energy shield behind her where Espio and Charmy were watching the fight unfold.

"Um, thanks for the help, and sorry for the trouble. I had no idea they would be this powerful," Espio apologized. "I would have brought better scrolls for some harder jutsu if I knew this.

"No problem buddy! But you owe me some ice cream, or a soda," she said, summoning a broadsword and a long pike in each hand made of the same lime energy. "Or maybe you could just pay me back by giving me something to do to cure my boredom. By the way, the name's Luxi the Dog!"

"Someone's talkative," Charmy said, before Espio slapped his mouth closed.

"She just saved our butts, and no offense, you shouldn't talk," Espio grumbled, the two wounded heroes watching the fight from behind the shield as they got a good look at their savior.

Luxi was a dark green dog with lime green marks along her arms. She wore baggy blue pants, and a dark blue tank top. She had deep dark blue eyes, and a light green muzzle along with her hair going up in short spikes and down in very long bangs that went around the sides of her face. She also carried a small, loose yellow and black backpack strapped around her. Before Espio could see the rest of her she dashed off into battle, the last of the sand creating a slight haze around them as it was blown about by the wind of the sunrise.

The female charged forward, evading two more small air explosions created by the falcon as she launched at him. The falcon merely sighed and blocked both of her weapons with his cannon, even as she tried to hit him with a lengthy combo. Finally she saw that she wasn't getting anywhere and fired off her pike like a long arrow, but the falcon simply dodged to the right with the pike merely grazing the top of his shoulder. Luxi then took advantage of the opening and charged at him from the side, her energy broadsword meeting with the armored side of his cannon.

"Give it up, you brat. Clearly your weapons cannot breach my sword," he spat.

"I'm pretty sure I got that picture already," Luxi smiled, her easygoing nature angering the falcon more and more. "But check this out. Weapon Vantage!"

The rabbit suddenly held her free hand up in the air past the falcon, forming four green blades behind him. The weapons turned towards him before shooting at him, ready to impale him and finish the job. But then the falcon released his Spheric Burst technique, wave of his raw yellow combustible energy shooting out in all directions. Luxi was slightly burned by it before she backed up and her weapons dispersed before they reached him-even the double ended staff buried in his back dispersed away into mere particles of chaos energy.

The smoke and sand finally settled down, revealing the ever growing sunshine as Bang deflected the broadsword thrown at him by Luxi off the edge of his cannon before Espio and Charmy stepped out behind the shield and moved into fighting positions.

"Oh brother, like I need three opponents," Bang sighed.

"Don't act all nonchalant!" Charmy accused. Espio was surprised he even knew such a big word. "You can't take all three of us together!"

"You don't know that. Besides, none of us have shown our full power, and I saw the way that rabbit aimed at me with those blades. Despite her lethal power, she wouldn't hit me in any major vital points, just ones that would immobilize me," Bang stated, Luxi looked down in shame. "Against her type, I would win hands down, and the bee is hardly a threat. Even the chameleon doesn't know what I can do."

"I still have tricks up my sleeve!" Espio said. "And besides we still need answers from you!"

"Well that's just too bad. I shouldn't have let that hyperactive bee anywhere near me-he already destroyed the machine, and I'm not going to stick around just to prove a point, as great as it would be to see your blood instantly vaporized by my explosions," Bang said before leaping backwards into a black and white swirling vortex much like the others used. "Until next time!"

And then with that the only thing left were the heroes, the fallen sand, the destroyed ground, and the weapons scattered about.

"Um, so you still owe me," Luxi yawned, Espio simply twitched his eye at her. "So, I think you should take me to your other friends. Cause, traveling the world and urban exploring with friends gets old really badly. Besides, I can't wait to show them that I saved two real heroes from getting their tails wiped across Emerald Beach."

"I have a feeling you're going to add to Charmy's energy," Espio moaned. "What did I do to deserve this!"

"Well, what are you waiting for? It's not that far, let's find the train!" Luxi suggested, Charmy energetically following her lead. After face palming himself, Espio dashed off after them, hoping they wouldn't cause any more chaos.

* * *

**Location: Radical Highway, Central City**

Even when the attacker appeared, he was lucky that Aersus had been forced to relinquish his attack to avoid his special technique. He could feel the energy being released back into Aersus' body as he blocked the bullets of orange with his iron hard blades, and he knew that if the attack was unleashed at any range all of them besides Aersus himself would be knocked dead with first contact. Once he knew there was no way that Aersus would be able to use the technique again he released his Tattoo Bullet technique, the pieces of the energy firearm retreating back into his tattoos.

"I don't care who you are!" Aersus yelled out angrily, instantly turning towards his hidden attacker who was standing on the roof of a skyscraper, pointing a blade towards him. "I will blow your head right off your neck for standing in my way!"

"Wow, someone's angry," the attacker said, stepping out from behind a Rose Casino billboard.

He was a light gray wolf with orange eyes and short hair along with a black muzzle, but the thing that stuck out the most about him were the glowing orange tattoos of all designs that spread across his body. Not a single part of his body seemed not to be touched by the mysterious tattoos that only reflected the color in his eyes. Other than that he wore a loose white vest and a belt armed with all of sorts of guns and knives, along with a short sword hanging from his back. The wolf's tail was a dark gray and ended in more orange tattoos instead of the usual white puff.

"You can thank me later, kid!" the wolf said before turning to Aersus as more tattoos flowed out of his body. "Now, for you, here I come!"

The tattoos strangely formed into the outline of a full length motorcycle under the wolf before he launched off the roof and towards Aersus. The jackal thought it was insane that he would even think of that, but it was clearly going to hit the top of the tunnel. Aersus moved to blow the motorcycle away with his kinetic power, but he knew it would explode right near him, so he was forced to moved out of the way as the wolf came roaring by. The motorcycle faded under the wolf as he shot himself right at him, but the jackal was prepared. He countered the Tattoo Whips by having them spin around his weapons before tearing them apart, the two at a standstill.

"Someone's real serious about this aren't they?" the wolf asked. "By the way, I forgot, but the name's Tain the Wolf."

"It will be nice to know the name of the one whom I plan to kill soon enough," Aersus promised before fading through the vortex behind him. "I'm done playing with you...for now."

"Wait!" Tails called out, but he was already gone. Tain leaped down to meet him, shaking his hand enthusiastically.

"Now you know my name! So, are you another wandering mercenary? You look young to be one, but you've got some serious business with that cannon, eh?" Tain questioned.

"Um, I don't really believe in using contractors to be a hero. I'm Sonic's sidekick, Tails?" the young fox replied.

"Oh yeah, you! I guess since you owe me for saving your life with that last attack you could take me back to your friends? I'm not interested in your hero business but it'll get me lots of publicity if people see me with you guys kicking butt. I think you could actually use the help, too," Tain offered, already walking away. "Now, let's go back to your plane! We all have business to do, eh?"

"Fine, eh," Tails mocked, giggling to himself behind the wolf's back before two hopped in the Tornado, the plane streaking across the sky and towards the Mystic Ruins.

* * *

**Location: Tails' Workshop**

"Is everyone here?" Tails asked as the heroes all gathered outside the workshop. Beside Tails was a large yellow suitcase full of communicators. "Great, because we have a really big situation."

"Man, we just got back from our last adventure! Couldn't we just have a day as a break?" Charmy whined.

"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. Most of us haven't even recovered from our fights who just went, and our injured just got better," Gemini added. "Plus, we have new heroes here in case you haven't noticed, and it would be nice to get to know them better before we go out and do this all over again."

"Let me explain why we're doing this," Tails offered. "Look, I checked the grid to see if there were any more disturbances, and they have been increasing. But that's the least of our problems. I also checked the chaos emeralds already out in the world, and I found five more energy signatures that showed up at the same time. In addition to being just as strong, they had a much bigger spread. They are actually stronger than the Chaos Emeralds and probably just a little bit less than the Master Emerald. And, their spread is only getting wider. Something big is about to happen, and we need to have a lot of people go now."

"But how are we supposed to deal with the disturbances? New and more powerful agents are gonna go after those while we're worrying about this," Espio wondered.

"You're just going to have to let that go," Tain said, everyone turning to the newcomer. "I'm a mercenary, and I know that if it comes down to the point where you can't do everything, you have to choose the more important thing so you get at least more of the money."

"If that's the case, we need to split everyone up," Knuckles nodded.

"Then here's how we're gonna do it," Shadow said. The black hedgehog walked casually towards the group followed by Rouge and Omega. And behind them, surprisingly, was Mighty and Ray.

"Mighty! Ray!" Knuckles shouted, running up to them and giving them both high fives. "It's been so long! Last I heard you two were traveling the whole world and selling photographs to keep moving!"

"It's a great world of ours," Mighty said. "We've seen a hell of a lot. But we've come back to help you guys out, because we have to let you know something."

"When we visited the Rose Tavern in Casino City a few days ago, Bean and Bark ambushed us, and we had to fight them before they blew the whole place up with all of the thugs, mercenaries, and bounty hunters they know inside. They were wearing red and gold capes, and said they were working with Eggman now, and he's planning something so big it would blow Ragnarok out of the water," Ray told them. "I think they're after all of these new chaos energies too, so we're here to help you with them cause we know them better."

"Well, we need the help. Go ahead Shadow," Tails said.

"The way they organize these teams in the Ops in these situations is where they have a few large groups of people who complement each other. This way, even if there are more objectives than groups, the groups will move faster and would just have to hope that they can make it to all of the them in time, even if Eggman's in on this hunt as well," Shadow told them. "So, you could just split yourselves into two small groups and have some people guard here."

"I can lead one group and Shadow can lead the other," Sonic said as Tails gave out the communicators. "I'll go first and take Knuckles, Mighty, Luxi, Gemini, and Amy. That means Shadow can take Tain, Espio, Ray, and Cream. Tails, Rouge, Charmy, Vector, and Omega can guard the base while Tails communicates with us."

"Sounds good enough," Rouge said, patting Tails' head playfully. "I'll take care of your little kid here."

"Ray can take one plane and Gemini can take the other, since I'm pretty sure Ray can drive a plane. I would trust Mighty, but he doesn't work well with technology, so I would trust Gemini with it next," Tails decided. "And please, don't wreck my Tornado planes. I need them to make my next models for GUN."

As the heroes began to enter the workshop, the runway opening over the cliff, Sonic walked up to Tails, patting him on the shoulder.

"You did a good job, Tails. You really are becoming a hero," Sonic complimented. "I wouldn't have even thought of that. Best to say it in the five seconds when we aren't kicking butt, you know?"

"Thanks," Tails said, "I'll do my best to make this work!"

And with that the blue hedgehog zipped into the plane with his group before both planes took off into the sunset. The fox could only hope that his quick plans paid off and that they could stop whatever was going to happen, even with Eggman planning something big too. But Rouge and Omega stood behind him, the former smirking to herself. Even if she wasn't sure of the mission, she knew they would succeed now that she was with Tails. As long as she could manipulate him, even if they couldn't control Sonic for the time being, she knew that things would not get too far out of GUN's hands as the group walked inside the workshop.

* * *

**Location: EggmanLand**

"How is the Solstice Project going?" Eggman asked from his control console. Below him in the massive space that was his production line, hundreds of robots were being created, metal linking into metal, electricity streaming across cores and AIs being turned on and configured. Hundreds of lines of different technologies were all being put together into another Egg masterpiece, all imprinted with the logo of the Neo-Egg Army.

"Progress of the cannons are up to 75 percent. Estimated time until completion is three hours, estimated time until added to fleet is 3 days. Requires one million chaos particles to fire all of the Solstice line in total."

"That's good enough!" the doctor said, leaning back in his chair before turning to two of the figures bowing to him. "Bean, Bark, go with my army to collect these new disturbances, emeralds, or whatever they are, as long as I can get energy! Just guide my machines, they can do the rest. Your job is to take care of those heroes."

"Yes Master Eggman," both said before departing through the long hall that led to the control room.

"Are you sure those two can be trusted?" Metal asked, fully outfitted in his Neo form. "They have been known to be a bit wild, after all."

"Don't worry, they aren't essential enough to my plan that they could my success in any way," Eggman grinned. "With you at my side Metal, we will rule the entire world. I will no longer just be confined to Eggmanland any longer!"

The Doctor's maniacal laugh could be hard all throughout the central headquarters of Eggmanland.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

"Only half of the energy?" the throned figure questioned, looking at the two devices before him that were still functioning. He still seemed to be in a far off place, looking straight ahead and not even at his subjects. His orange and crimson aura was a brilliant wave of chaos energy that instantly calmed all of his subjects, despite their lack luster success

"We are sorry Master, but the heroes were quite powerful and new ones showed up before we could do much and we did not have enough intelligence on them. Their numbers are growing," the hooded figure from back in Apotos said. "We will not disappoint you again my Lord."

"I guess your lack of wisdom makes things like this inevitable," the Lord of Ragnarok said, waving his hand out. Two unarmed Executioners slithered out from portals and took the machines before slithering back into them without making a sound in the Lord's presence. "We still have enough to make this possible, and some of you will be assigned to get more. But overall this phase of our master goal is over."

"Are the Chaos Cores next?" Refuu asked.

"Yes, they are. Either control them with my influence and use the portals to bring them back or eliminate them and take their hearts," the Lord ordered. "Failure will not be accepted in this phase of our plan."

The figures nodded and left the room without question, going down the other, dark corridors. The Master breathed in and out slowly, calmly looking over the phases of his plan. Victory would embrace his will soon enough.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And this concludes the end of our first arc and brings us into the second one! Most of you knew that new heroes and villains would be introduced, but not old ones as well! Part of my goal here is to bring the old and new phases of Sonic all together into one big project. Some of you may be worried how I can focus on certain heroes with all of these different things happening, but I've planned it all out so have no fear. After a small break next arc will feature Eggman's startling return, an all new threat and a sinister power for our speedy hero that he may not be able to control...

Thanks to everyone who had the decency to review, and a special thanks to those who advertised my story when I did not expect it. I appreciate your help in gathering new fans and I will pay you back soon enough. Hang tight for the next arc, coming next week!


	14. Hidden Awakening

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 14: Awakening

**Location: Blue Ridge**

The heroes leaped out of the Tornado, which was perched on top of a large cliff. Sonic yelled out into the cool howling winds which was the trademark of the only place in the Freezing Region which had average temperatures above zero. Sonic pumped his fist into the air and yelled out before racing down the cliff, leaving a tunnel of freezing winds in his wake. The other heroes quickly descended after him before landing on the green and blue grass filled valleys which highly contradicted the mountains of rock and ice around them. The small factory town was visible in the distance, with branching roadways full of trucks and cars spreading out from it and past the larger mountains surrounding the Blue Ridge.

"You guys ready for this?" Sonic asked, most of the heroes nodded. "I can sense the energies from it. It's getting real big so let's get moving!"

"It feels good to fight with you again, Sonic," Mighty said. "I've seen so much of the world and saved many people, but something about fighting with you gives a real big rush. You have a habit for fighting real big trouble."

"Maybe it's his guts," Gemini smirked, Amy glared at her brother. "Cause I can't stand that."

"You're so funny," Sonic retorted, taking a moment to sneer at him.

"Come on guys, let's focus. We have no idea what Ragnarok has prepared for us now," Knuckles reasoned.

"Oh, come on. It's so soon since those things popped up on the map and there's no way they could move that fast," Sonic said. "We're finally the ones in the lead."

"I don't know about that," Gemini replied as they trudged across the snow as fast as they could. "I have a feeling they're already there."

"Well in that case, we should move a bit faster," Amy said, and so they did. The wind howled even louder as they raced over the valleys and finally found themselves at the highest valley which was surrounded by a field of smooth and jagged limestone rocks. The wind raged even more around, probably due to the height of the valley and the rising chaos energy.

"See, I told you there was nothing over here!" Sonic said as a portal opened up behind him. "What could possibly happen?"

The moment the blue hedgehog turned around he was slammed with a powerful fist. The speedy hero tumbled across the turquoise grass before leaping to his feet and repelling two more blows from the cloaked figure. The blue hedgehog grabbed her fist and twisted the figure around himself, but then the being used the momentum and swung around for a powerful kick. Sonic quickly ducked under it while still holding the figure's fist, but as he lunged forward with a Sonic Wind the figure leaped into the air while using Sonic's hold as momentum, grabbing his arm and twirling rapidly before kicking out with both legs.

Sonic couldn't pull himself away and was thrown back by her high heels before the figure used the grasp to pull the hedgehog into the air and smash him into the ground. Luxi quickly summoned a staff to her hand and tossed it at the cloaked being, but the female figure slided to the left before picking up the weapon before it burned her due to the foreign energies and tossed it back, cutting into the dog's side slightly.

"Mind telling us what's here?" Knuckles asked, charging up a Thunder Arrow and shooting the lightning infused projectile at the figure. However, as it ripped up the ground before fading the female anthro was already standing at the top of the main rock, completely untouched.

"Come," she said in a soft voice, raising her hand.

In an instant a multitude of portals formed around her, giving way to Nerux, Aerux, Guardians, and a new beast. This one had the basic body of bird with its feathers being white with black outlines, and multiple long, feathered tails. The whole bird's body was lit in a black aura and it's beak was long and black, with its eyes being completely bold and blue with its head feathers being the same color. The Airborne let out a powerful shriek before circling the air in front of the cloaked figure who merely stood there.

"Okay, everyone pick a group and start killing. We'll worry about Ms. Princess later," Sonic said.

"I'll take that big bird," Mighty offered. "I really want to show you guys how much I've improved since way back when."

The heroes nodded and ran off to fight their respective enemies before Mighty rushed forward, his speed above the other heroes but not above Sonic's. The bird shrieked out before unleashing crescents of black energy from its wings aimed directly at him. But then the armadillo focused and moved with surprising agility, the waves of energy missing him greatly as he flipped, swerved, and dodged in every direction.

"You gotta do better than that, especially since I discovered my ability to focus my energy in any part of me to strengthen myself. It would take a beast with brains to beat that," Mighty said.

The Airborne simply shrieked out again before its aura increased. In an instant it swooped forward, the energy from its aura turning its entire body into the shape of a living blade. Mighty gulped as the bird rushed at him, its aura lashing out and cutting even the air it passed. But in the nick of time he leaped straight over the bird, flipped over, kicked it in the back as it passed, causing it to lose its aura as the Ragnarok Beast recovered.

The armadillo spun into a Shell Roll before launching off the ground and knocking into the Airborne's head. The monster shrieked out in unbelievable pain, but Might wasn't done yet. The armadillo uncurled and unleashed a flurry of powerful blows in mid air that sent the beast hurling through the air. Mighty landed on the ground softly before holding out both of his hands to his sides, preparing a technique.

But as he did another blast descended from the air from before, knocking him back as the beast came out in front of the female Ragnarok agent once again. The heroes had defeated all of their enemies, Amy rushing to Mighty's side and healing him with a friendly burst of hearts. They all looked as the Airborne let an even louder shriek, the female Ragnarok agent standing completely still.

"For someone who's about to get their butt kicked, you're awfully quiet!" Sonic taunted.

"Don't overestimate yourselves. You may have great numbers but my will overcomes all of yours," the female said.

"Don't say anything too early," Luxi promised her. "Because my will to beat you in time to go get some chao fruit snacks is greater than your will of whatever!"

"You call yourselves heroes...there were heroes when I was younger that would make you look like mere children," she said. "You don't understand...the closest thing to the definition of a hero is Ragnarok. You couldn't possibly understand what we are doing."

"I'm sorry if I don't know how to justify mass destruction and death like you have," Knuckles growled.

"Sometimes sacrifices are necessary, and I thought one of the Knuckles Clan, who made the ultimate sacrifice to destroy their enemies knew that," she said. "We will change all the mistakes this world has created, starting with the first awakening."

"I don't think you'll be able to do that," Sonic smirked, "Knuckles, and Mighty, go!"

That was when the female Ragnarok agent realized that Knuckles and Mighty were nowhere to be seen. But then she saw the rough patches of earth left behind and she knew where they were. As both of them burst from the ground at different side, unleashing their Burrowing Uppercuts the female grabbed both of them by their wrists while they still flying through the air. She then used their momentum and spun around before tossing them both in the opposite direction of the other heroes through the air. Both of them hit jagged rocks sticking up from the ground quite hard.

Sonic moved to unleash an attack of his own, but then the Airborne roared at him-it was too much of a risk and he knew Mighty and Knuckles could make it. The two managed to get up as all of the heroes faced Typhoon and the Airborne circling her-this would be a tough battle if she could evade attacks from multiple heroes at once without getting so much as a cut or bruise. But to their surprise the Ragnarok agent merely raised her hand into the air and summoned a portal-the heroes were shocked at this move.

"I'll be back after the Chaos Core destroys you," she said, disappearing through the portal. "Have fun!"

The Airborne shrieked at the heroes and prepared to eliminate Sonic with one more swooping charge, but then all at once the Earth shook and Sonic was forced to the ground due to the force of the chaos energy growing even larger. Something about it just sent his senses flaring. And then it all at once culminated-and the earth split apart as a massive figure rose from it, shining brilliantly and lighting up the valley.

"I actually hope that's what she meant," Gemini muttered. "Cause they really shouldn't be allowed to get bigger than that.

The massive creature had large, curved golden horns that resembled the ones of devils. It also had narrow, golden eyes and red plating covering its chest and arms with gold radiating from under. Long, curved red claws came out from gold hands with red plating over the top of them. Red plating covered the beast's mouth and most of the rest of its head save for the eye level. The massive beast, known as a Chaos Core to the cloaked figure roared out into the air, causing the winds to pick up and blow past the heroes. The Chaos Core raised it's fist at the Airborne below it and crushed it flat into the ground, as apparently it didn't have enough influence after all.

"Ah!" Sonic called out before falling to the ground. Amy came to his side as unusual waves of energy poured off of him, like faded waves of navy.

"Are you okay, Sonic? You're burning up!" Amy exclaimed, using her heart powers to heal him in hopes that he would recover. "Luxi, do you know what's happening?"

And while Luxi also came to his side Gemini, Mighty, and Knuckles were completely focused on their target. The rose and ebony hedgehog rushed towards the beast instantly, splitting in two and racing with black energy. The Chaos Core roared out and dug into the ground before pulling up massive rocks surrounded in fiery flames. The hedgehog looked up in shock as the barrage of attacks came down on him, but managed to catapult his other body into the air before merging with it in order to go above the attacks.

The Chaos Core then unleashed a blast of pure golden chaos energy at him. The hedgehog was quickly overtaken by the blast, but as it burned him he unleashed a blow of dark energy straight into the center of the blast, causing it to burst before the hedgehog kicked the beast's plated head with all of his might. The creature stopped attacking for the moment but quickly recovered and tossed Gemini at Mighty, who quickly caught him.

"He's full of energy-he's like a living chaos emerald," Gemini muttered before getting up and kneeling for a second.

"He has golden energy too. So he's got the characteristic of a chaos emerald, the energy of a Super form, and he can manipulate the earth and fire," Mighty analyzed. "Sounds familiar?"

"Actually, it does," Knuckles smirked. "He may be biting off all of my stuff but I've still got something he doesn't."

Mighty stepped back, smirking as a massive speared projectile of lightning formed in Knuckles' massive grasp. Back when he met Knuckles he was much more stubborn and serious. Even though he still was the same now he could see Sonic's influences on him, especially with his calmness and joking manner.

"Thunder Arrow!" Knuckles roared. The echidna let go of the attack over his shoulder as it flew out pf his grasp, whizzing through the air and destroying the ground far beneath it. "I'll bet Gemini fifteen rings that this thing won't survive this. Besides, it's fully charged!"

"Deal," Gemini smiled as the attack impacted. Waves of golden chaos energy bled from the creature before arcs of lightning lashed from the central blast where radiating waves of electricity flowed across the valley. Then the smoke rose up and for a few moments the Chaos Core was not visible.

"I think you just won, Knuckles," Mighty whistled. "That hit it real hard in the back."

"I wouldn't say that," Gemini said, suddenly tensing up.

From within the cloud of smoke the beast's golden eyes glistened through the darkness, and then a rolling mass of golden chaos energy and bright hot flames was heading towards them. Knuckles was too tired to help Mighty punch up a wave of earth or block the technique, and the attack was too big to avoid. As the attack burst in all directions violently all three of them were thrown back into the trees, impacting against them as they fell down. By the time the destruction cleared the Chaos Core was looming over them, leaving a fissure behind it from it's energy composed lower body.

"I'll take my fifteen rings now," Gemini said, breaking the tree falling on him before he held his hand out to Knuckles. The echidna rolled his eyes before giving him one large rings and five smaller ones. "Even on the verge of getting killed I will always win my bet and I will always get my cash, okay?"

"I get it, now shut up already so we can stay alive," Knuckles replied bluntly, pulling Mighty out of the wreckage.

"I think it's too late for that bros, look," Mighty pointed out. The Chaos Core loomed above them, it's mouth wide open as a blast of flames like the first formed there. And they all knew they wouldn't survive another one.

But then in the nick of time a figure flew through the night sky before landing on top of the Chaos Core's back. Luxi held out her hand and formed a long, spiked spear of lime before stabbing it into where the cerebral cortex would be in any normal being. But despite the fact that it hit dead center and golden energy bled, the beast merely wailed out before tossing her through the air. Knowing the landing would kill her the dog quickly summoned a bladed fan, sitting on the top of it as she slowly descended around the beast, launching bladed weapons at the Chaos Core as she passed around it. The creature eventually roared out before raising a massive fist. Luxi leaped off her weapon and landed on the ground near Knuckles before her weapon was torn to bits, along with the valley below.

"Sorry about the late help but something about this energy just messed Sonic up," Luxi said.

"That's great, considering that he's the only one who has really dealt with this stuff besides me and Amy. And let me guess, Amy's with him too," Knuckles complained.

"I might actually murder him," Gemini said. "I know what I can do with the body too."

"Besides the fact that's really creepy, we all need to attack him at the same time from different sides. That way that thing won't know what to do. It doesn't really have a brain, after all," Mighty suggested.

"Well, it's the only plan we've got right now," Luxi shrugged, the fighters moving into their different stances. "Let's kick this thing to kingdom come!"

Amy watched from afar, pouring as much power as she could into healing Sonic. Bursts of fire and earth followed the sound of blades slicing and impacts ringing through their ears. She couldn't believe that even with all four of them attacking the Chaos Core at once that they were losing. All of a sudden the beast unleashed a circular blast of flames in all directions, knocking every fighter back. The energy creature then turned towards Sonic and Amy, golden chaos energy flaring up around it.

"Sonic...wake up!" Amy begged. And so he did.

In an instant the hedgehog's fur darkened to a navy blue and for a second his eyes flashed a deep vermilion. Navy winds circled around him and then he was a mere streak. He landed behind him as a massive yet slightly darker Sonic Tornado swirled around the beast and tore it to shreds. Golden chaos energy flew in all directions as the heroes came together, looking over the wreckage at what was left.

The object left behind was a pure sphere of chaos energy, glistening like a sun with pure white as it's core. The Chaos Core went from ivory to crimson as it radiated out before ending in the exterior of the sphere. The top and bottom of the sphere was covered in small gold plates instead of the clear surface of the rest of the sphere. Knuckles grabbed it and suddenly felt a power much like the energies of the emeralds, but this one was much more shocking like lightning and cold instead of the usual warm feeling.

"Looks like that beast was really the release of this power trying to protect it from those who were unworthy," Knuckles said. "Like how I guard the emeralds."

"Let's get back in the plane," Mighty offered, calling the plane using the communicator. "But Sonic, how did you do that?"

"I don't know," Sonic said. "Once I got used to this energy I got a surge and it just...happened."

Knowing they would have to face more of this and they didn't have much time the heroes flew off with Mighty piloting while Amy healed the heroes. But unknown to them what just happened would only be the beginning of Sonic's trials.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

"You were right," the female Ragnarok member said, kneeling before the Ragnarok Lord in his throne chamber. "He was able to naturally conduct that energy with unusual ease. He is really one of the Chosen."

"I suspected as much. It could only explain all of that dormant energy that he hasn't been able to utilize yet," the Ragnarok Lord said, looking off into the distance once again. "And it was more than any of the other Chosen, past or present besides those two, including him..."

"Should I retrieve the Chaos Core now that they know?" she asked. "I could take them by myself."

"I know you can, but let them keep it for now. We can always get it later," the thrones figure ordered. "Now, go. We cannot let that Doctor take another city. The heroes don't even know of him conquering Westopolis yet."

"Yes Master," she said, and then faded into a portal. The Ragnarok Lord knew it would take time, but victory was still in hand. He could still see his ambitions realized in his vision. It would not end.

To Be Continued...

A/N: I was able to work on this over vacation, which was awesome. I may double update, and if I do please review both chapters separately. It would mean a lot. Next chapter we'll really see Eggman working and more of this Chaos Core business flying around in addition to two deaths, one OC and one canon, so hang tight for that!


	15. Alkali

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 15: Alkali

**Location: Westopolis**

The city of Westopolis was a city with bad luck when it came to villainy. Maybe it was the high population or the urban environment, but it was always the first target of any villain looking to take over. Eggman was definitely not the exception. Despite his newfound demeanor and his powerful Neo-Egg Army, when it was all finally unleashed Westopolis was the unfortunate first target. Fires rose up above the skyscrapers and labyrinths of apartments as waves of Egg robots attacked the helpless citizens and warded of GUN in waves of gunfire, lasers, missiles, and explosions.

"You ready to go?" Frost asked, him and Bang emerging from their black and white vortexes.

"Let's do this. Can we really control the Chaos Cores because of the Master?" Bang said.

"Sure," Frost shrugged. "We can't do whatever we want with it though, it would just probably not attack us. We would still have to attack it to kill it."

"That would've caused some real chaos. We wouldn't even have to kill anyone!" Bang whined as the two walked forward towards the main city park.

"Watch out!" Frost called out before swinging around and holding out his hand.

Spiked spears of ice flew through the air, swerving like missiles toward the flying and ground based Egg Mechs. Some managed to avoid them despite the fact that small spikes of ice rose up in their wake, but they wouldn't survive for long. The robots who began to fire burst apart from their own weapons by miniature explosions, and the last Egg Mech, which was slightly more armed and had extra golden plating was known as the Egg Bishop.

"Looks like the old Egg has new friends!" Frost shouted in glee, feeling the rush of battle.

He unleashed a punch and a kick from the front, but the high powered mech simply blocked it with the plating on it's arm cannons. The Egg Bishop then pushed Frost back before unleashing two thin but high powered lasers that ripped the concrete from the ground. But Bang backed him up by forming a shield with his energy in front of Frost before allowing it to explode and deflect the lasers.

Using the small opportunity Frost flipped over the powerful Neo-Egg robot before coming on top of it's head with a powerful kick. As soon as it connected ice spread down from the attack until it spread across the ground in front of him. As he fell the feline unleashed another sweeping kick, causing the Egg Bishop to shatter all over the ground.

"See, Bang? I got game," Frost boasted.

"Oh, please, you could barely win that without me blocking those lasers," Bang sneered.

"I just decided to give you a little spotlight for the audience, you know?" Frost smirked.

"No one was watching," Bang said, unimpressed.

"Look up," Frost told him. Sure enough, a small aircraft covered in red and gold and emblazoned with a yellow Neo-Egg Army insignia was cruising through the smoke filled air. "They're heading towards the Chaos Core in the park."

Knowing that it was important to get there in time and that the aircraft wouldn't be behind them for long Bang unleashed a rolling explosion into the tunnel leading to the park. The burst destroyed every robot and injured every GUN soldier, though none of them were killed. The two dashed effortlessly through the tunnel before launching back out into the street, through the gate, and into the park by the lake.

The two got there to find the Chaos Core already awakened and destroying all opposition in sight. This one was also golden but had green instead of red like the one Sonic faced. The beast was massive and lumbering, with it's arms being much larger and barely touching the ground. Fur like green energy made up it's tail and hair. It's green plating covered it's shoulders, mouth, arms, lower legs and feet. Both it's feet and hands were clawed in green and it's eyes were a narrow bright golden.

"Damn, the Master was right," Bang admitted. "I wouldn't joke around with something that big."

"Don't worry. Unless we directly attack it then nothing will happen," Frost assured. "The Chaos Core can sense a God's influence on us and won't attack first."

"But we have to attack it to get the Chaos Core," Bang countered, "and those guys are coming in that aircraft any minute now."

"Leave it to me," Frost offered. "I'll get him in one blow with my Sub-Zero Blast."

And sure enough he did. The cat crouched low, wisps of cold cyan flowing from him before he leaped up into the air, above the trees and above the Chaos Core. The Ragnarok feline pointed his finger out at the Chaos Core's head as a small concentration of the cold wisps formed there. A moment pater a massive cascade of cyan shot through the air as an uncontrollable high powered expanding lasers, completely freezing everything it touched. As he landed the ice solidified and the entire beast was encased in a massive glacier.

"No wonder the Master thought you might be able to take charge of this operation," Bang said in awe before sneering and snapping his fingers.

The explosion destroyed the Chaos Core from within before it could even attack, golden energy bursting out in all directions. All that was left within the evaporating ice was another one of the true form of the Chaos Cores, a green sphere with golden at the top and bottom. Frost picked it up and put it in his pocket as the aircraft landed, revealing Bean the Dynamite Duck and Bark the Polar Bear with their gold and red Neo-Egg capes along with a small squadron of Egg Mechs.

"Eggy was right, they would send their own to take that beast out before we could get there!" Bean cackled. "I just didn't expect one of them to be my despicable cousin!"

"I know that's a shame," Bang spat. "You have so many screws loose it's a wonder they kept you as long as they did."

"Oh, I haven't forgotten about that," Bean frowned. "But you're the ones at a disadvantage. I have more numbers and you did waste your energy on destroying the Chaos Core."

"Not enough to make a difference," Bang scoffed. "So, how was life on your own?"

"Better than you could dream of. I had Fang and Bark by my side, and we had more in cash, hookers, and booze than any sort of passion our family ever had!" Bean yelled.

"Someone's emotional. And don't count on them, I mean, where's that trigger happy weasel? Man, I forgot you were into all of that bad stuff. Just the type of thing our Master will destroy when his plans come to fruition," Bang promised. "Are you guys really in this for Eggman?"

"Hell no!" Bark said. "When his plans work out we'll be drowned in money, and we've already got enough from him st the start that we could bail out whenever we want."

"That shouldn't even matter to you," Bean hissed. "Because I've been waiting to get some vengeance on our family for kicking me out, and I can start with you!"

"1 on 1, huh?" Bang laughed, throwing his cloak off to expose his dark orange fur. Dark yellow fur covered his arms before spreading towards the center of his chest, being the same color as his long, crooked, sharp beak. The falcon had a yellow bandanna wrapped around his neck much like Bean's red one.

"I find it funny how you changed your bandanna color to insult our family and then gave two to your dirty friends so it won't look weird," Bang said. "Frost, look out for his fat friend and those robots. Don't step in unless things look bad. I have to step this little kid back in line."

"I'll keep an eye on them for you. Go get him. We've got time to spare," Frost nodded, staring Bark down as a warning.

Bang pulled his cannon off his back while Bean formed two black bombs in each hand. The two Dynamites stared each other down, gathering their energy and waiting for the other to make their move. But Bean faltered and tossed both bombs at him before forming two more and rushing at the falcon. The Ragnarok agent responded by using his cannon as a shield to knock the bombs away. As they exploded in front of him Bean emerged from the smoke and got ready to toss both bombs.

But Bang breathed out slowly, knowing he was in control. He swung the cannon around and Bean was forced to back off before Bang unleashed a Shell Burst from his cannon. Bean tumbled across the ground before the Shell Burst hit him, creating a massive explosion of yellow that left a simmering created in the ground aided by Bean's own bombs going off. Bean lied the center of it, smoke rolling off of his fur as he rose to his feet slowly.

"You still haven't learned how to control your explosions from going off, haven't you?" Bang laughed. "I guess there was a reason we disowned you, huh?"

"I'm not done yet!" Bean screamed maniacally. "I will kill you and all of them for ruining my dream!"

The younger Dynamite suddenly formed sticks of dynamite in his left hand and another black bomb in his right. The older one pulled out two of his spherical containers before pouring his energy into them and putting them into his cannon instead of throwing them. Bean leaped into the air and tossed the dynamite sticks down around the falcon. Bang swore and quickly aimed his cannon at the ground before using the rebound to push himself above the explosions from the dynamite sticks.

As they exploded beneath him Bean then rushed upwards from the smoke, using one of his bombs to use the same trick and propel himself higher. The duck tried to push one of his bombs against Bang but he quickly used his cannon to push himself harmlessly away from Bean. The explosions rang through the air as Bean came down on him with a tight fist, but Bang was through playing games, grabbing his fist and pulling the duck past him before swinging around with his massive cannon by the handle as if it was a baseball bat before slamming him into the ground and firing another Sphere Bomb back at him.

The impact ruptured the ground and kicked dust in all directions before Bang landed next to Frost effortlessly, wiping a bit of sweat off his brow. The sounds of destruction faded into the background as the falcon focused on the smokescreen in front of him.

"You've been practicing," Frost whistled. "This kid doesn't stand a chance."

"I have a bad feeling though," Bang admitted suspiciously. "When Bean shuts up, he's up to something more than the usual. Just like the day he went all crazy and we kicked him out."

"You can handle it though!" Frost said until the smoke cleared in another puff of smoke that signaled Bean's powers. "Oh, never mind."

"Yup, I taught myself this little technique here because I excel in making things big instead of control," Bean said, standing atop a massive winged serpent like creature made completely of clustered explosives. "Meet the Bomb Wyvern! It won't last forever but it's enough to kill you!"

"Oh shit," Bang muttered, his eyes wide. "He was really serious about getting revenge."

"Take this!" Bean said, as his massive creation swooped low at him before opening his mouth. A massive cluster of bombs formed of a central mass and seeking wings tucked in and shot at Bang like a missile.

"Shit!" Bang swore as he fumbled a Sphere Bomb into his cannon before firing it right at the cluster. The Cluster Bomb tried to arc to the side but Bang had his bomb explode as it passed.

The impact of the cluster knocked trees through the air and dug deep into the ground. The smoke shot and billowed up into the air and Bang quickly put his arm over his eyes so as to not get blinded by the dust. Another Cluster Bomb emerged from the dust and Bang jumped over it only for another to rise up at him. The Ragnarok Dynamite used one of his spheres and used the cannon to knock the Cluster Bomb away and repelled the blast with one of his own before landing on the ground.

Two more clusters came at him and he could barely flip away, only for three more to come after him from all sides. He quickly planted his hand on the ground and pushed himself back up while twisting to narrowly avoid every one. As he landed the explosions all around him ripped the ground apart and cleared out the dust, allowing him to get a clearer view of the Bomb Wyvern with Bean riding on it's back.

"You're pathetic. You looked down on me, but now you can't land a single hit," Bean grinned as Bang put as many spheres as he could into his cannon before holding it in front of him while looking down the scope.

"Oh, shut up. Sphere Snipe!" Bang called out, breathing out slowly and pulling the trigger.

Suddenly a sphere whizzed through the air and planted itself in the side of the Bomb Wyvern right under the wing. In a burst of explosions the wing suddenly fell off and fell through the air before exploding right above the ground. As his creation suddenly spiraled downwards Bean was barely able to keep his creation afloat but finally managed to create another wing in time. The wyvern flew up through the air and avoided more Sphere Snipes before hovering in the air above the park.

"For someone who is losing, horribly, you're real confident," Bean cackled.

"I haven't showed you everything, well, just one last little thing," Bang said. "But, you know what? The Master was right."

"What are you talking about?" Bean asked. "Just let me kill you already!"

"The Master...he told us that the only ones who would survive this war were the ones who were truly in it for his vision. I've been trying to escape the Dynamite fate of Doug things just for the thrill, and that's why I joined, just with a hope the I could see his vision," Bang explained.

"Bang..." Frost said, concerned for what this meant.

"Even though I joined, nothing changed. But even if you're just some insane bird you helped me escape my impulse," Bang whispered, filling his cannon to the top with his Sphere Bombs. "I can finally see what the Master wanted, that if I could change then he could change everyone in the world, even if it was through death."

"No!" Frost called out, knowing what his friend was saying.

"It's too late to save myself, but I can see the world he wants to create. It will be glorious," Bang said. "And it is an honor to be a part of it."

"Cluster Bomb Barrage!" Bean screamed, a massive volley of Cluster Bombs shooting through the air and all converging on Bang from all sides, thirsting for his blood.

Without another word the falcon raced forward as some of the clusters exploded behind him, the entire park now a wasteland of dust and uprooted dirt. The falcon darted to the sides as more clusters hit the ground before aiming his cannon at the ground and unleashing multiple Sphere Bombs. The falcon was vaulted into the air, his legs burned and paralyzed completely but his body flying past the skyscrapers and over the Bomb Wyvern.

"Sphere Machine Gun!" Bang bellowed before pouring the rest of his energy into the cannon and pulling the trigger.

Spheres filled the sky and implanted themselves in the Bomb Wyvern, becoming almost as numerous as the explosives making up the beast. As the Bomb Wyvern became filled with spheres the falcon tossed his cannon away and pulled out two spheres tied to strings. He tossed the Sphere Bombs around the younger Dynamite's technique before pulling himself down to the Bomb Wyvern. Bean was about to abandon his creation but then the strings wrapped around the beast multiple times before pinning Bean to it and ripping through the wings. As Bang and Bean became entangled in the strings and the Sphere Bombs began to flash, they both accepted that this was the end of both of their ambitions.

"No..." was all Bark could say.

"It was an honor working with you. The Master said you were one of the weakest among us but you did give yourself to the cause and that makes you alright with me," Frost saluted before hopping through the portal.

As the Bomb Wyvern full of the Sphere Bombs hit the ground, a massive dome of pure energy vaporized both fighters instantly, knocked Bark into a trench made on the ground, and wiped out everything else within a radius of ten blocks in every direction in a burst of raw energy that could even be seen by Shadow's plane flying overhead thousands of feet above the city.

But Bang was happy. Even in death, even if he was only with his comrades whom he spent a short month with, he could take security in the fact that he would be remembered.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Deaths will fill this arc, I must admit. Do not think these two will be even close to the last. This was my second favorite fight of this story so far, tell me if you guys liked it. In addition to the double update which I expect everyone to review both chapters separately, another chapter may come soon of things go well. Hang tight for the next chapter, which will allow us to catch up to Shadow's group where two more Ragnarok members will be revealed!

Here's one spoiler question. The first to answer it completely right gets any spoiler.

Q: What were the three ways/names/titles used already to describe the leader of Ragnarok?


	16. Split Between the Chaos

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 16: Split Between the Chaos

**Location: Rail Canyon**

"Looks like we're here, folks!" Tain announced, leaping out of the plane with his tail falling through the air softly behind him. "Surprisingly, it's not as hot as I thought a canyon like this would be."

"Well, it's right above the Central Sea," Espio replied. "It can't possibly be that hot, though it is pretty damn dry."

"So, how are we approaching this thing?" Ray asked. "We gotta figure out what's going on down there."

"Leave that to me," Espio said, handing a scroll to Cream's chao Cheese. "Have the chao fly out into the open above the base and open the scroll with writing facing towards it, okay?"

Cream nodded and communicated the instructions to her chao before pointing out to where Espio wanted Cheese to go. The neutral chao nodded and darted through the air effortlessly, its body floating through the canyons as if it was weightless. The chao then shot through a line of canyons and then above them, the sun of the dawn casting rays of light down onto the canyons with the only break being the weight of the shadows from the massive rock structures.

Finally the chao stopped within a break in the canyons, which was above a massive fortress. Red and gold decorated the entire base, with airborne tracks and platforms looming above the ground so far below. Hundreds of inactive fleets and trains were everywhere, or at least they should have been. The Egg Pawns which were supposed to be deactivated were all coming back to life, performing their duties and flying around the base in order to find intruders. The trains were coming to life and full of Egg Pawns while the fleets were activated, with many robots working on them.

Cheese fearfully ducked behind a canyon pillar to avoid to flying Egg Pawns, and quickly made her way back to the group before giving the scroll back to Espio. The chameleon got out of his meditative stance and looked at the group, putting the scroll in his glove compartment.

"We've got bad news. Eggman's activated his old army back up, and they're working on the fleets. I don't know what it's all for though. The point is, this won't be a breeze," Espio explained.

"That's smart of Eggman," Shadow admitted. "With all the old bases he's had lying around, he could just activate them all up again."

"But isn't GUN smart enough to post people at the old bases to make sure nothing happens there?" Ray asked.

"That's exactly what they do," Shadow said. "Eggman probably captured them using the robots."

"Should we break them out?" Cream questioned.

"It's not a part of our mission. Besides, if we take the time to do that then the Chaos Core will be taken already," Shadow disapproved. "The best thing we could do to help them is to stop Eggman, and we can start that by not getting caught and getting this Chaos Core."

While the other heroes did not exactly agree with Shadow's methods they did not want to argue that with him, especially when he was that dead set. They all slowly nodded before leaping across the canyons towards the break in the rocky pillars that would show the Rail Egg Base. At that moment Espio looked back at the group as Cheese floated above him, the chameleon pulling out two scrolls.

"You guys can center around this one and then I'll teleport you guys to me once I get inside," Espio ordered.

"No. You've already used up enough energy trying to search this place and I can take care of it with a simple Chaos Control," Shadow rejected, flipping his crimson chaos emerald into the air before catching it.

Espio was about to argue but Shadow simply glared at him-he put both scrolls away and decided it was not worth the consequences. The ebony hedgehog clutched the emerald tightly before a crimson flash enveloped the heroes. When the light ceased to exist the heroes were completely gone, whisked away to the signal of the Chaos Core. A few flying Egg Pawns swooped over the screen but they saw nothing. As far as they were concerned nothing was there.

* * *

**Location: Rail Egg Base**

The moment the Chaos Core rose from the ground the heroes were passing through the portal. And even though Shadow was naturally attuned to the powers of Chaos energy he was completely thrown off by this beast.

This one had purple and gold armor, and was a massive flying beast. The golden plating covered most of its limbs and purple lowed under it. The Chaos Core's head was covered in a golden plated helmet with purple under it, with its eyes being the same bright and gleaming golden slits. Raven like violet wings stretched from the beast's back and out to the ends of the room, and purple rays seemed to ripple in the air out from it.

The Chaos Core shirked out before holding its hand out. A purple bolt of energy formed at the tips of its claws before it was tossed through the air at the heroes. Ray quickly leaped up in front of the heroes before whacking at the large attack with his tail. A yellow flash came out from it before Ray leaped down unharmed and smirked at the heroes, his eyes brimming with light.

"I got this, guys!" Ray smirked.

"What did you do?" Tain asked. "I mean, you didn't get any damage at all!"

"Well, I discovered my ability on my travels which allows me to absorb attacks and shoot them back. Before that all I had was street fighting which didn't turn out as well," Ray said.

"Are you sure that we won't be bothered by Eggman's pesky robots?" Cream wondered.

"We're okay," Shadow stated. "He programmed the Egg Pawns with emotional AI back then so they would probably be scared of all of the energy going off."

"Watch out!" Cream squealed, flying out of the way her chao trio following her.

The massive beast loomed over them and unleashed a powerful punch which shattered the ground and sent rocks flying back up into the air. The heroes all leaped out of the way of the large impact before all moving into fighting positions around the Chaos Core. Ray leaped up and punched out with his fist to unleash the purple sphere he absorbed from before. The beast was shocked by the blow as it hit the creature straight in the head and caused it to shriek out in pain.

Tain followed up by forming his Tattoo Gun and shooting ink energy bullets through the air. Pieces of golden plating fell off as the creature hit the wall, but Tain wasn't done yet. Some of the tattoos on his left arm fell off and the ink circled the front part of his arm. The wolf leaped through the air and smashed his Tattoo Pounder in the beast's chest, causing it to hit the wall of the massive red dome like room once more before crashing to the ground.

"Wow, this Chaos Core's really weak," Tain laughed. "It's not as hard as Sonic said!"

"I don't know what you did in your mercenary business, but this is actually saving the world hero style," Ray said teasingly. "It won't be this simple."

"Hm? Who says?" Tain cackled, holding a knife in his hand that had faint scarlet stains on it. "I'll slice this thing's throat and dance in the cash if you don't like my predictions!"

The Chaos Core then rose and hovered in the air with a flap of its wings, the air rippling around it. The creature raised its fist and then punched it out into the air, unleashing a barrage of semi-tangible vermilion blasts from one large one that held in the air for a few seconds. The heroes were taken aback as they came in great numbers and smashed into all of the heroes save for Cream and Shadow, who evaded with their own methods. The black hedgehog's hands crackled with pure yellow chaos energy, a deadly gleam in the ultimate life form's orbs of vision.

"After I attack it, give me an opening," Shadow ordered. "Then I'll take care of it."

The heroes nodded and evaded a wave of rippling space which burst out from the Chaos Core in random directions, the rocks hovering in the air from the lack of gravity. The winged creature then waved out its other hand to send the rocks flying at the heroes. Ray tried to lock them but quickly realized there was too little energy involved in the more physical attack and tossed back effortlessly, crashing into the wall while Cream and Tain came to his side.

"I guess I haven't really gotten used to all of this hero stuff yet, you know?" Ray chuckled. "Sorry I wasn't much of a help."

"It's okay," Cream said, her chao healing him in a cyan glow. "You fought well and you can do better now that you know what we're facing."

"Guess you're right," Ray said, smiling at Cream.

"Nice touching moment, but now that you're not that bad I'm getting back in there. We need our opening," Tain responded casually before leaping back into battle with another Tattoo Pounder at the ready, darting across the ground towards the vermilion monstrosity. "Head me up ninja kid!"

The wolf smashed his technique into a shield of translucent vermilion carved out from the very space in front of the Chaos Core. Golden energy erupted from the creature before it sent a massive golden projectile through the shield at Tain. The sly wolf summoned another Tattoo Pounder to block the brunt of the attack before getting thrown into the ground by it. But this gave Espio the opening, using his hand signs with a scroll in order to unleash a massive wave of barraging flames from above. The Fire Style: Blaze Storm burned the shield and a great deal of the golden plates, exposing the vermilion energy that made up the Chaos Core's body below.

However all the same it was still alive, unleashing another golden projectile at the chameleon who was force to turn invisible to cause a misfire. But then Shadow rammed his hand into an exposed spot in the Chaos Core's back before unleashing the Chaos Spears from within its chest. Sonic's group may have just blindly attacked, but he would aim with the precision and will to kill. The Chaos Core's rippling radiation suddenly ceased before it fell to the ground and faded away, leaving behind another one of the spheres with gold at the top and bottom and the vermilion shining within. But then he was suddenly alert-he knew another attack must have added to it.

"You made a grave mistake crossing me!" Shadow roared, his eyes narrowing and his lips curled into a angry snarl.

"Such confidence. We're going to have to bring that down," an unknown voice said.

The black hedgehog picked it up before rushing forward to meet the punch of another Ragnarok agent, rings of conflicting energy bursting out from the impact. The black hedgehog readied a Chaos Spear in the air behind himself but the cloaked being simply held his hand out. Trails of pale violet particles raced out from his sleeves. This instantly caused the attack to shrink before bursting harmlessly. Shadow was unfazed, instead curling into a ball and shooting at the cloaked figure. The being raised his hands, causing the same particles to race up his hands into the air around him before forming helix like shapes around him.

"Particle Helix," the figure said, smashing his palms into the ground.

"Chaos Control!" Shadow called out at the same time, quickly drawing his Chaos Emerald and pouring his energy into it.

Massive helices rose from the ground all around the room, whirling around and rocking the area as Shadow warped around at speeds that even Espio could barely keep up with. Purple helices and blue flashes dominated the area, with attacks and dodging going by so fast that eventually not even the purple chameleon could see what was really happening. When the attack finally lowered Shadow warped himself across the room from his enemy and withdrew a great amount of energy from the emerald, causing crackling and violent red energy to pour from his body.

He held out his hand, causing a crimson, larger, and unstable Chaos Spear to form in it. The Chaos Lance shot across the room and seemed to let off even more energy as it approached its target. The cloaked figure simply smirked and put his hands up in front of him to block the attack, but suddenly another cloaked figure shot out from the portal, leaped across the room, and stood directly in the middle of the Chaos Lance's path. With a wave of her hands a massive rotational burst of searing white flames shot out in all directions, instantly vaporizing the attack and blowing off the cloaks of both cloaked figures. The Ragnarok agent pulled his arms out of the ground and simply smiled at his comrade, who lowered her hands slightly before facing Shadow and the heroes behind him.

The female dove was had elegant white feather and a beautifully curved yellow beak. She had glowing orange eyes, a crown of orange feathers for her hair, and one long piece of yellow feathers going down her back as her hair. Her partner was a light yellow lynx with wild purple hair, vermilion eyes, two fangs stick out of his upper lip, and a creamy muzzle along with a short creamy mane going down his chest. Both of wore the same Ragnarok attire, and were prepared for battle-the dove's body was scorching hot while the same light purple particles surrounded the latter's arms.

"These two were much stronger than the ones we faced before. I can feel it," Espio told Shadow.

"We can still take them," Shadow scoffed. "Can I know your names before I destroy both of you?"

"I'm Sol, and that headstrong guy over there is Havoc," Sol giggled. "But I would be worried about my life instead of our names if I were you!"

"Tain, Espio, come on!" Shadow yelled.

The two of them nodded and readied themselves as Sol flipped over the black hedgehog, giving him a quick kiss before the rays of white fire enveloped her. Two whips of white flames appeared in each of her hands, and as she slapped them down on the ground waves of fire erupted out from them. Tain panicked and turned around to retreat, never having faced forces like these, but Espio was ready. He unleashed conflicting flames with his Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, the flames canceling each other out. Tain then turned around and unleashed his Tattoo Gun, the energy bullet smashing into the dove before tossing her back.

"She isn't as tough as she acts," the wolf boasted, pulling out one of his short, bloody blades. "She can use really hot flames, but she has to activate that barrier of flames first before she can do that, which means she has to recharge a heck of a lot."

"You're right, I'll give you that," she admitted, her Solar Orbit technique flaring to life as the barrier expanded to dangerous levels. "But you forgot one thing. Energy attacks are made of chaos energy, and even though it hurts me, chaos energy can still have heat and I can transfer this to charge up my Solar Orbit. So, you're at a loss! Solar Jet!"

The dove suddenly concentrated a great amount of energy in front of herself before compressing it to a mere speck. Finally she unleashed in the form of a super hot jet that shined brightly as it launched towards the heroes. Even Shadow and Havoc stopped their constant onslaught of attacks just to see what would occur. Espio quickly pulled out a larger scroll, and performed a great number of hand signs in the instant right before the attack hit him. The massive cascade of water that shot up from Espio and Tain split the jet around them, creating clouds of steam as they struggled. Espio could feel the heart breaking through, and so he and Tain jumped.

"Whoa!" Espio said as the jet ripped the attack apart under them and destroyed the entire left side of the room, causing the two to fall through the air.

Sol quickly leaped out under them, followed by Havoc after he pushed Shadow away with a wave of his particles. Shadow looked down below as Tain and Espio landed on another rail platform and knew they would be alright, but then he saw Sol and Havoc disappearing through the portal. That's when he realized that when Sol kissed him she also took the Chaos Core from him-it was a mistake he shouldn't have made.

But before he could react to that the world seemed to shake as the sound of hundreds of engines ominously turned on. Suddenly the sky was filling the with the Egg Fleet's airships along with the Egg Pawns-they were on the attack! Tain and Espio nodded, leaping up as high as they could to grab on the broken floor that was left of the room and pulled themselves up just as the ceiling caved in with more Egg Fleet airships on the roof taking off. Knowing that they had to stop whatever the Doctor was up to all of the heroes, including Cream who was carrying Ray climbed up onto the roof and onto the airship just before it took off.

This would be a much bigger ride than they thought.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

"I knew I could count on you two to accomplish the mission," the Ragnarok Lord said, staring off into the distance again on his white throne in the dark room. The windows above were so bright they barely allowed one to see what was past it-but the traces of small, fast moving clouds and the dusk could be seen beyond the massive skyscrapers that blocked out some of the light. "I think it is time to make the other, more high ranked members move into more frequent action."

"Thank you Master," Havoc said, holding up the violet Chaos Core as it floated into the white gloved hand of the Ragnarok Lord. "It is an honor to aid you in your mighty plan to change this world."

"You and Sol have proven yourselves well. I knew it wasn't a mistake to have you join," the Ragnarok Lord replied. "Now, go. It would be a good time to fill up the rest of the machines while the 'heroes' are so preoccupied. After all, if that blue hedgehog and his friends couldn't stand up to more than one with some reinforcements, how will they stand up to three more?"

With that said Havoc grinned at his Master's fortunate plans. There was no way their plans would not come to fruition now.

* * *

**Location: Eggmanland**

Eggman instead his Eggmobile in the cockpit of a robot covered in shadows, but was still quite large like his Egg Atlas. A group of Egg Mechs watched below, along Metal. Bark climbed onto the shoulder of the massive machine, his Neo-Egg cape fluttering as he did so.

"Keep things safe here, the Solstice Cannons need just a bit more energy since they took a great deal of it from the chaos energy from the fights around the world. It's time for Project: Egg Solstice to begin!" Eggman cackled, as his robots saluted him and the many lights around the hovering robot flickered on.

But while the robots were joyous, Neo Metal Sonic showed no emotion in his cold red eyes and was completely indifferent.

_If only he knew,_ the robot thought to himself.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: There's only a couple more chapters to Eggman's final stand, and it will be epic in many ways. Next chapter we'll switch back to Sonic's group to get some real chaotic action in before the focus goes back to Eggman for the rest of this arc. So hang tight for what's to come, as updates will be shooting by soon enough! Be sure to review, especially if you're not caught up, I appreciate it!


	17. Forgotten in Time

**Criss of Ivory**

Chapter 17: Forgotten In Time

**Location: Adabat**

The Tornado plane roughly landed, its engines dieing out as it skidded across the sand. Mighty cursed as the plane seemed to tilt slightly, almost too much for the peaceful armadillo's liking. Knowing that things could turn out badly, sand particles kicking up into the air the armadillo quickly spun the plane all the way around once using the momentum from the tilt, actually flinging a few heroes off of the aircraft. But finally it stopped, allowing for the sand in the air to settle.

"Sorry that so rough, the engine just cut out for some reason," Mighty sighed, leaping out of the plane with Sonic and Knuckles. The other three were lying in the ground, thrown off during the amazing feat. Gemini helped Amy onto her feet and Luxi stumbled behind him, dizzy all the while as they made their way to Mighty.

"I want my money back. That was the worst service I've ever had," Gemini grimaced, settling Amy's arm don before glaring at the armadillo.

"Um, you're not paying me though," Mighty chuckled, causing Gemini to sweat drop at his own stupidity.

"Just let it go Gemini. At least you guys landed in that soft sand, alright?" Sonic reasoned, only for the rosy hedgehog to punch him across the face. The blue hedgehog fell back into the sand comically, his body plopping into the cushion of sand. "Wow, this is really comfy, and it's not that hot."

The dawn of Adabat was striking. Rays of yellow, orange, red, pink and finally vermilion washed over the sky and out from the sun, only blocked by the few clouds in the sky. Calm, cerulean waves lapped against the shore, gradually moving higher and higher up. The jungle plants swayed in the calm breeze, and seemed to come alive the with the sounds of life from within-it was truly magical. None of the heroes would've ever expected anything bad could happen here if they didn't know what was happening all over the rest of the world.

"Don't tell me to let go of anything!" Gemini said, glaring at the carefree hero. "By the way, you look like an idiot just laying in the sand like that. Shouldn't we go after the Chaos Core before someone else gets to it first?"

"Dude, I've been improving, I tell you. We're like right on top of the Chaos Core. It's definitely going to show up right here at the beach, that's for sure," Sonic said, springing up onto his feet with a break dancing move.

"We're ready for this. This time, we know what we're up against," Knuckles assured. "There's absolutely no way we can lose!"

"Knuckles is right," Amy said, before a splash of water suddenly drenched her fur. The female looked up to find another wave of water splashed on her by Gemini, who simply smirked. "Hey, where did that come from?!"

"It came from me," Gemini said mischievously. "Maybe the knucklehead is right, there's no way I can lose!"

"Oh, you're pay for that brother!" Amy shouted, pulling out her hammer and swinging a wave of water at him.

The hedgehog fell from it and back into the wet sand as the waves lapped up around him before returning more waves as he tried to splash him again. The two continued to splash water in a frenzy at each other until both were panting, infectiously laughing. Despite all that's been happening, for the moment Sonic could pretend that everything was alright, that Gemini would learn what's it's like to be around family again, for Mighty to go back to his hero ways, and for all of them to defeat Ragnarok in a breeze just like they would with Eggman.

"I think Amy won that!" Luxi chuckled.

"Looks like this is another bet Gemini will lose," Knuckles said, smiling at their antics.

At that point, all of them laughed as Amy kicked up a much larger wave that swallowed the helpless Gemini up, causing him to flop onto the sand like a fish struggling for air, causing everyone to laugh again. Sonic was truly happy in that moment. A moment like this in a time like this would never be forgotten. But in this time, it couldn't last forever.

In that moment th earth shook, sending much larger waves up the shore. Amy and Gemini were knocked back by them, the elder sibling jumping in front of his little sister to take the brunt of them. Water droplets sprayed into the action as the sand shifted back and forth, even the trees up the shore bristling back and forth as the wind blew harder and a large mass formed at the top of the waves out to shore, causing them to swell. Gemini split into two in front of Amy and Luxi who both drew their weapons, the latter creating two spiked pikes. And then with that the water burst, revealing the monstrosity below.

"Oh crap," Sonic muttered, nothing the incredible size of the Chaos Core looming above the beach.

This one was also gold plated, but the rest of it was a cerulean. It resembled a long twisting serpent with the golden plates complementing the blow glow below. It's entire tail was cerulean with gold around it, and despite its lack of wings it still floated slightly above the water. The beast's head was covered completely in golden plates save for two long pieces of blue that went back, along with a circular ring of cyan on the beast's head. The Chaos Core twisted around through the water rising up the beach as it shrieked out, causing the wind to pick up.

"This one's ever larger than the last!" Luxi whined, popping a gummy bear in her mouth. "How do we even know where to hit it?"

"I say aim for its head...it's still armored, but not as much as the rest of it," Mighty recommended, a pale aura surrounding his body. "You ready Knuckles?"

"Yeah!" the echidna shouted, pumping his fist into the air before him and Mighty spun into the soft sand, disappearing below the surface.

At the same time Luxi leaped forward, avoiding a massive beam of cyan before swiping both pikes against the Chaos Core's face multiple times before throwing both weapons at the beast. Two spheres of cerulean energy materialized out of the water and smashed into the weapons before tossing Luxi back into the shifting sand. The dog fell back after holding both of her hands out, causing bladed weapons to form behind the beast's head.

The Weapon Vantage ripped through many of the golden plates and to the blue energy that made up the creature below it, causing the Chaos Core to shriek in pain. The beast suddenly became very angry and moved to fire another cyan beam directly at the helpless dog, but then the trap worked. Knuckles and Might emerged from the sand, unleashing their Burrowing Uppercuts with such force that it knocked the beast's head back and halted the attack.

"Hey, I still got it!" Mighty said, adding a kick to the mix before leaping back.

Amy sent a Hammer Tornado at the beast, but it also picked up the water which swirled around the beast and protected it from the attack. The massive tornado was then sent back up the beach, forcing all of the heroes to dive out of the way. Sonic moved to attack but then suddenly fell to the ground-both Chaos Cores in the same place was setting him off and he still wasn't quite used to it. In that instant the waves coming up the beach turned cyan as they smashed into the heroes, knocking them all back.

"This Chaos Core is so resilient!" Mighty exclaimed. "We hit it with multiple powerful attacks and yet it doesn't even look fazed."

"It's made up of pure chaos energy," Knuckles said, "I don't really think it can feel pain."

Despite their conversations the creature loomed over them, ready to unleash its final attack. And that's when it happened. A black and white vortex opened in the air, revealing another Ragnarok agent. This one was a dark green komodo with sharp, dark yellow eyes, as well even dark forest colored markings around his eyes and nose slits. The Ragnarok agent also was tall, but not as tall as Aersus, and was completely bald, revealing the scales underneath. The komodo reeled his fist back and flipped through the air before smashing it directly into the center circle of the beast's head.

Rings of energy shot out from the impact as the golden plates all over the beast's head shattered, causing it to simply fade. The komodo grabbed the Chaos Core and landed on the beach before two more portal opened up at his sides, revealing Terra and Refuu. The three Ragnarok agents walked up the beach before stopping by the recovering heroes, who were on edge a the possibility of fighting three Ragnarok members at once.

"These are the ones?" Pain asked.

"That's them," Terra nodded. "You kids have caused enough trouble that our Master decided you need to be taken out of the equation. We're not leaving until all of you are dead and bloody!"

"No one's afraid of you, slut," Gemini said, merging his two bodies back together. "I still know who you are. Nightmare and that other one didn't finish the job."

"That's a shame," Refuu grinned. "Because of you don't know who me and Pain are, then you're done for!"

"You just told them, idiot," Pain the Komodo said, his bare hands balled into fists and his bare feet clawing at the sand. "Besides, you did fight the pink one, and she's here."

"Right, sorry," Refuu laughed, suddenly down on all fours. "Can we get them now?"

"Wait a bit," Terra said, suddenly holding out her hands. "Let's give them more than they can handle right now."

And with that all of the heroes moved into fighting positions as a massive ring of portals of all sizes, high and low appeared all around them. Hundreds of Ragnarok Beasts emerged from them, including Guardians, a few Executioners, Nerux, Aerux, and two new ones. The first, known as the Tinux, was like the Nerux but was bulkier and mostly black with white lines all over its body, and had massive hooked wrist claws that looked like they could cleave any of them in half. The second one was called the Ratix and had a ghostly wisp of black as its lower body while its top body was almost completely made of white armor while it wielded a black crossbow with long white spear-like arrows.

"You have got be kidding me!" Knuckles shouted angrily, equipping his Shovel Claws as the Ragnarok Beasts came at them from all sides.

"You're mine!" Refuu announced, suddenly landing next to Mighty and smacking him across the sand with a barrage of kicks.

Amy tried to come to his side, but Gemini jumped next to her to block a spear of earth tossed by Terra. As the female hedgehog called her hammer to knock away some arrows from the Ratix. Finally, Sonic smirked, dodging a blow from Pain and trying to kick him back twice, only for the large and beefy lizard to easily block both blows. That left Knuckles, Amy, and Luxi to deal with the wave of enemies coming at them.

When the Ragnarok Beasts got close enough all hell broke loose.

"Come get some, you armadillo!" Refuu cackled.

Mighty rose to his feet and blocked Refuu's blow off of the edge of his palm before trying to retaliate with a punch. The monkey ducked under that and used the momentum to kick Mighty out from under. As the armadillo fell he placed his hand on the ground and pushed up into a handspring that shot the monkey up into the air with amount of energy that Mighty put into it. As the Ragnarok agent began to fall Mighty was suddenly above him, attempting to unleash a powerful punch full of energy.

Refuu grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him under before unleashing a powerful kick. The two fighters crashed back down onto the sand before pushing away from each other. Refuu then snapped his fingers as a group of Tinux landed in front of Mighty. The first rushed at Mighty and swiped both of its wrist claws out, but the armadillo simply ducked under both and unleashed one punch to end it. The other two came from different side and whirled through the air to hit him from every angle, but the armadillo simply spun into the ground as they passed over before unleashing a Burrowing Uppercut on both of them. Refuu was suddenly behind Mighty with a Pummeling Drill smashing him into the ground with the spinning whirlwind of blows.

"You do fight dirty, don't you?" Might asked.

"There wasn't a rule saying I couldn't!" Refuu pointed out with glee.

Meanwhile, Gemini's bodies flew back into each other as Terra glided across the sand, manipulating each particle to use the grains like wind. Suddenly two massive tendrils of sand were swirling towards the darkness wielder, the particles blocking out Gemini to the rest of the world. The hedgehog fired a Dark Cannon at his feet to shoot him up into the air before aiming the rest at the ferret, who raised a wall of sand to block them. By the time she looked up the hedgehog sliced through the barrier with his Dark Cutter before holding it at her throat.

"Looks like this is the end for you. I gotta say, it was fast, wasn't it slut?" Gemini smirked.

"You're an idiot," Terra smirked. "Earth Submerge!"

The ferret summoned a Mineral Spear into her hand, and as Gemini prepared to sever her head he suddenly sunk into the sand. The hedgehog tried to double himself, but before he could the ferret suddenly hurled the Mineral Spear over his head. The hedgehog looked in horror as it ripped through a group of Nerux, right under a group of Aerux, and through the swarm of Ragnarok Beasts as it's path lined up directly with Amy's back as she stood to the opposite of Mighty, the two relentlessly fighting against Refuu and the Ragnarok Beasts.

Might swung around, and saw what would happen. The armadillo charged up a huge mass of energy into a giant floating fist in the air and had it mimic his fist. The Energy Fist sent Refuu flying all the way back in the jungle up the beach before the armadillo swung around and charged as fast as he could behind Amy, hoping the his hard shell would be able to hold the Mineral Spear.

He was wrong.

Amy turned around and suddenly stopped fighting as she heard the sickening crack of flesh and bone, her eyes wide as tears began to leak in the corner of her eyes. Suddenly her hammer vanished as she fell to the ground on her knees over the fallen figure, full of disbelief. Luxi saw the red dress Amy was wearing, and leaped over the crowd after unleashing her Weapon Wave down, destroying a number of Ragnarok Beasts before she saw what happened.

"Mighty!" Luxi cried, and the moment Sonic heard that after deflecting Pain's blow he turned around.

"Idiot!" Pain laughed, kicking him in the back and sending him flying into the sand. "Never face your back to your opponent."

Sonic got up and leaped into the air unleashing a Sonic Wind through the air before turning and making a run towards Mighty. Pain simply leaped over the gale of blue winds before shooting towards Sonic. The lizard landed right next to him, unleashing a high kick to which the hedgehog sidestepped. Right as the hedgehog was about to smash him with a point blank Sonic Storm the komodo spun around, kicked off into the air, and then came back down with a fist that sent Sonic sailing.

The blue hedgehog coughed up a bit of blood, but took the opportunity to fall into the crowd of Ragnarok Beasts where it would be impossible for the komodo to find him before he reached Mighty. The blue blur shot through a group of Ragnarok Beasts with a Spin Dash before uncurling in front of Amy, and then he saw happened to Mighty.

"Oh no..."

The Mineral Spear impaled straight through his body, causing a spring of crimson liquid to spill onto the sand. Mighty's dark brown eyes were now devoid of the spark of life, the armadillo having a faint smile as he stared up into the emerging stars of the twilight. The head of the spear was far in front of his chest with body of the spear going through his heart, the organ performing its function even though it only served to pump more blood out of him.

"Did I really become a hero?" Mighty asked, lifting up his hand slowly. "Did I change?"

"Stop moving!" Amy shrieked, instantly using her Heart Healing. "You can still survive if I lower your heart rate."

"It's over for me," Mighty assured, turning towards Sonic. "I ran away from being a hero by traveling. I still enjoyed, but it wasn't my dream. I just had a fear of hurting people when it was necessary."

"You did overcome your fear," Sonic said, tears pouring down his face as his voice quivered. "You became a great hero. I don't think most could have done better."

"That's nice to know," Mighty said slowly. "At least now...I can go...in peace..."

"This can't be happening," Luxi said, still barely fighting off the approaching creatures with waves of bladed weapons. "I knew there were bound to be deaths, I just didn't know it would be like this, and so soon..."

"Tell Ray he was the great friend a guy could have and it was awesome traveling with him. Tell him to try and go on without me. I know he'll be great," Mighty said. "Thank all of you."

And in that moment he fell silent and his hand dropped. Mighty the Armadillo was no more.

"Oh my god," Amy said, bursting into tears. "No...."

But as the immediate heroes grieved, Sonic's head was bowed lowed as a navy aura circled him. His fur suddenly turned into an indigo shade with even darker blue marks forming all over his body. His eyes shifted to the bright vermilion they were once before as his muzzle turned black, along with the tips of his quills. The now indigo hedgehog suddenly looked up, glaring at Mighty's killer. Terra simply grinned, hovering slightly above the sand as the grainy particles whirled around her protectively.

"Sonic!" Amy exclaimed, trying to touch him only to be drawn back in fear by his now highly dark blue aura that whirled around violently, actually blowing all the Ragnarok Beasts around them away.

"I can't believe it...his other Chosen abilities manifested themselves in a form, just like the one that came before him. I can't still take this though!" Refuu said, before he was suddenly suffocated, struggling all the while against Pain's might. But then he was lifeless as well.

"The Master always did regret you joining us. You were not only the most evil out of us but you were also the weakest," Pain said, dropping his body to the ground before looking at the new Sonic. "Hm? What's this?"

The indigo hedgehog suddenly hissed under his breath before launching at Terra, leaving a violent, lashing streak of incredibly dark blue behind him. Sonic felt ten times stronger, ten times faster and was literally burning with energy-he just felt a lack of control. He could still decide what to do but his instincts were driving him much more, leaving strategy in the dust. Terra simply looked at him, unimpressed while raising a wall of earth that the indigo hedgehog should have run into.

Instead he was suddenly behind her with a slightly larger indigo Sonic Storm in his hand. Terra was shocked as the afterimage in front of her finally faded with the attack ready to hit her. The ferret managed to sink under the ground as the attack impounded the ground and created a massive impacting burst of rotating navy winds. The hedgehog glared in Terra's direction as she emerged from the ground, ready to unleash her final attack. The ferret gathered up a large amount of energy before smashing her palms into the ground, causing the earth to harden instantly into solid ground all around them before rising and splitting, creating massive shock waves and quakes.

"Mineral Fissures!" Terra bellowed, the smoke from the constantly impacting earth raising the sand left over into the air. As the dust settled Terra panted heavily, knowing all of her energy was spent. The air was still and the world seemed silent as some of the heroes watched while others fought off the remaining Ragnarok Beasts.

"You won't get away from me for what you did!"

And then dust burst, revealing a storm of navy winds surrounding the indigo furred anthro. Sonic simply leered down the ferret before vanishing, leaving only the storm behind to face the ferret. And then Sonic was in front of her, his leg instantly snapping around and shooting the Ragnarok female up into the air. Terra coughed up blood, but then opened her bloody mouth in shock as Sonic was suddenly behind her, a massive gale of navy winds rolling far out from his grasp.

The hedgehog smashed the over sized Sonic Wind into the ferret, her screams drowning out before Sonic formed more of them, smashing the gales into the ferret over and over again until the sand was high in the sky as Terra was also, like Mighty, no more.

When the blue winds faded Sonic was back to his normal shade of fur and his back to their jade color, suddenly feeling very weak. As he fell Amy held him in shock, and none of the heroes knew exactly what to do as the Ragnarok Beasts and Pain retreated into the portals. But then this paralysis was broken when a transmission came over the communicator and into Luxi's ear.

"Luxi, this is Ray. We've got a problem."

"Got it," Luxi nodded. "Guys, we've got work to do."

And despite their grief, the heroes knew they had a duty to fulfill.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: Yeah, so thanks for the reviews, and continue reviewing. I'm having personal problems so I may be delaying these updates until its fixed. But I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and hang tight for the second and final part of this arc which comes after the next chapter!


	18. Start of Solstice

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 18: Start of Solstice

**Location: Station Square**

The black hedgehog shot across the ground, a steak of yellow lashing out behind him as the rugged, torn ground under him was damaged even more. Shadow was suddenly behind the Egg Bishop standing behind him, watching as it was suddenly torn to shreds. The ultimate life form suddenly spun around and smashed his palm through the core of another Egg Mech trying to sneak up behind him before kicking the last Egg Mech floating through the air at his right into submission with a twist of his body.

"This is ridiculous. I've seen so many mechs, but these are in a whole other league. How did the Doctor become this strong in such a small amount of time?" Shadow wondered, before looking up into the starry night.

Station Square was in complete chaos. Fires rose up into the sky and the sounds of gunfire could be heard from all sides, along with the cries of the greatly losing GUN soldiers. Shadow couldn't believe the Doctor was making so much progress. Somehow, the heroes were spotted and were forced to flee the fleet of airships, which turned out to be support for the Neo-Egg Army invading the urban metropolis. Even now the massive aircrafts blotted out many of the stars and the flames from blow illuminated their bottom hulls in spectacular flickering rays of scarlet.

The heroes were currently split up in groups of two, though the black hedgehog chose to work by himself. Unless he was with Rouge or Omega he just didn't work well with others, especially when they didn't work with his terms. The ultimate life form chose to have them all meet at the train station when done so they can all regroup at the workshop, but the chance of that were getting more slim b the second due to word of even more conflict occurring over there.

The black anthro charged across the rugged concrete with his Air Shoes flaring, full of determination. He launched off of broken pieces of road, knocked away robots in his path, and dodged his way around the violent flames that scorched the city. Suddenly a group of Egg Mechs and their airborne, green shaded leader with massive rockets for arms, known as the Egg Ballistic landed in front of him.

"The Doctor has no idea who he is messing with," Shadow growled, bolts of pure chaos energy dancing into cracking spheres around his hands. Then the black hedgehog was gone as the Egg Ballistic fired two rockets at where he once was. "Chaos Nightmare!"

Suddenly the anti hero was behind two of the robots as they spread out, smashing both of his attacks into the center of each one to completely destroy their chests. The Egg Ballistic fired more rockets at the hedgehog but he evaded them with a Chaos Control before he appeared behind a few more and swiped his arm, unleashing a volley of yellow chaos energy projectiles that shot through the ranks and caused more smoke to billow up around the robots.

Shadow suddenly revved up into a ball and sped towards the Egg Ballistic, but the robot suddenly unleashed a barrage of rockets directly at the hedgehog. The other robots fired their machine guns into the cloud of rolling smoke, and for a moment after there wasn't a sound. Then a figure bathed in crimson emerged, his eyes ablaze with fury.

"Chaos Blast!"

The massive spheric explosion of red radiated out in all directions, obliterating everything it touched. The remains of Egg Mechs flew in all directions as the concrete below them shattered and was tossed up into the air. Finally the explosion of crimson chaos energy died down, smoke rolling off of the ultimate life form. Unfortunately, he could not rest from his devastating attack as more Egg Mechs hovered just above the ground, getting ready to blow him to bits.

The black hedgehog was suddenly a blur of black and red, zipping from enemy to enemy and unleashing powerful blows that destroyed most of the robots in just one hit. As the broken robots lied around him, the powerful Special Ops agent destroying more and more with pure determination fueling every fiber of his being, more just seemed to come, and the hedgehog could find no end. Even as another Egg Ballistic hit the ground by him, the GUN anthro found himself surrounded by Egg Mechs of all kinds.

"Dammit!" Shadow swore, his lips curled up into a snarl. "They just keep coming! How long was the Doctor planning this?"

But then, unfortunately and fortunately, help arrived. A group of Egg Mechs ready to fire was suddenly blown apart by a mysterious wind as a soft breeze flew by the hedgehog, leaving him unharmed. Looking up at a small skyscraper the black hedgehog noticed a cloaked figure standing there, her arms outstretched to her sides. The two gazed at each other and made a silent agreement, the black hedgehog suddenly racing towards the skyscraper and up the side before the Ragnarok agent ran down the same side.

The Egg Mechs swarmed around and followed the hero up the side, ready to unleash their firepower right before Shadow crossed paths with the Ragnarok agent. The black hedgehog flipped over the the Ragnarok agent and noticed that she had long black heels-she was the one Sonic's group fought at the Blue Ridge. The Ragnarok female then stopped and waved out her hands before the unseen force ripped through the ranks of the Egg Mechs and destroyed them effortlessly.

Knowing that they were clear for now both of the fighters pushed away from each other and landed on the ground far below, prepared for battle. Shadow simply glared at her, noticing that she was completely nonchalant, made little movement, with a small gale surrounding her. The two simply stared at each other, waiting for the other to make a move.

"You are a well versed fighter," the female said, almost completely motionless as the wind fluttered her cloak. "There is a reason they called you the ultimate life."

"So, I'm assuming you're one of the stronger members," Shadow predicted. "You repelled my allies and destroyed those mechs with ease."

"You call those 'heroes' your allies?" she asked. "Not by the way GUN is having you look at it. Do not think Ragnarok is not aware of the military's involvement in halting our plans. But it is all futile. We will succeed, and expose the ugliness of this world."

"I don't have a choice. This was the duty assigned to me," Shadow argued, now as relaxed as his enemy was. "And I have to keep this promise."

"You were also going to keep a promise to Maria, but look at what happened to that," the female countered, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Do you really believe that you should continue to protect these vile people? Look at the world around you. People of the same race, of the same basic genetics, wiping each other out of the very existence we are all entitled to. It is disgusting and cannot be allowed to continue."

"I don't disagree with that," Shadow said. "Something does need to change."

"See? Instead of allowing this cycle of war and hatred to continue, why don't you just leave it in the divine hands of Ragnarok? Every one of us has seen the true face of this world, which is why it should be left to us to correct it," the Ragnarok female insisted.

"Well, I don't know about that," Shadow disapproved. "You've caused enough suffering all by yourself, and who ever said destruction is the only way to peace? Maybe I've seen that blue idiot too much, but technically you're nothing more than a deranged extremist. I wouldn't leave the world in the hands of a bunch of mindless beasts and their less than twenty masters, who have no idea how to really solve problems. And unfortunately for you, that places you in my way!"

"Well, at least I could tell him I did try to persuade you," she sighed, summoning a black and white vortex which she leaped through before Shadow could react. "Farewell, ultimate life form."

"Unusual, she didn't seem that much like a villain. But it doesn't change anything," Shadow told himself, racing towards the train station. "No compromise!"

The black hedgehog raced downtown, evading the skirmishes around him as he raced down the alleys and could see Casinopolis in the distance. He vaulted over cars, broken slabs, and debris before he found himself on a low roof overlooking the large northern city. The Chaos Core was massive, gray-white resonating from underneath the golden plates. The quadrupedal beast loomed over the buildings, unusual swirling and rolling energies blowing around it. It was far larger than any of the others before and with all of the fighting Shadow and allies had faced before he doubted that they could beat something that large.

But then the unspeakable happened, by the end Shadow was convinced that things with Eggman were different this time. The air fleet Shadow was on before suddenly rose higher into the air, above the grasp of the Chaos Core, before a massive bright glow of pure energy was suddenly drawn into the barrel of the massive cannon built into the massive middle area of the aircraft. The area suddenly shook as the cannon angled at the ground and more and more violent arcs of energy were drawn in. The world suddenly dimmed in comparison to the light before the laser was fired.

The massive burst of energy ripped along the city, destroying everything it touched. The beast shrieked out as it was instantly vaporized by the attack, and a small Egg Mech retrieved the Chaos Core's true form before it could be hit by the beam. Buildings collapsed and a massive spheric burst launched out in every direction, obliterating almost the entire cit in an instant. By the time the blast cleared Shadow was standing on a building by the edge of a massive crater that was formerly the center half of Station Square. Almost every building was completely annihilated, there was little life left moving around, and fires were all that was left that truly moved.

"That burst had the same energy as the Eclipse Cannon, and the other ships had these too!" Shadow exclaimed. "Is that how he's planning to expand his Eggmanland?"

"Now you can see why we sided with him" Bark said, suddenly appearing behind Shadow with a massive mech floating next to him. The mech resembled a hovercraft of sorts with a blue glow at the bottom and back keeping it afloat but also having a large circular head with circular yellow eyes and yellow at the top. It's main armor color was purple with green circuitry, and it had six long green arms with open pincers and the open insides being used as firearms. In addition, a massive gear like shape with intricate cogs spun around steadily on its back. "He's not the same anymore. Now we mean business."

"Was Bean and Bang crazily committing suicide enough for you?" Shadow questioned. "No wonder he died. Neither one of you had the brains to see what getting involved in this would cost. It's not free."

"Fuck you," Bark glared. "When this is over and Eggman's on top, so will I, and I'll get Fang back, and we can get Bean back. Eggman might have a spare Roboticizer lying around..."

"The first stage of grief is denial," Shadow said, suddenly leaping out of the way as Bark punched the ground, jagged spikes of ice protruding out from the impact. "Bean's beyond dead. There's probably barely a piece of him left."

"Shut up!" Bark shouted angrily, tears forming the corners of his eyes as moments he shared with Beam surfaced in his mind. "Egg Enforcer, attack!"

Shadow suddenly leaped back and summoned crackling red chaos energy in his hands, ready to unleash a powerful attack. But then a massive burst of water shaped like a dragon collided with Bark's fist as he froze it to save the Egg Enforcer. Espio landed after putting his Water Style scroll away, drawing a kunai along with a massive shuriken before landing next to Shadow.

"You were outnumbered and looked like you could use my help, so don't say anything," Espio said. And as much as Shadow wanted to retort he surprisingly chose to say nothing, instead focusing directly ahead on his enemies.

Bark leaped forward at the heroes as they both moved of the way, icebergs being left behind from both punches in their wake. As both landed the Egg Enforcer suddenly turned towards Shadow and unleashed swathing red high powered beams from the hollow points in all six of its arms-the ultimate life form could barely dodge all of them simultaneously. The black hedgehog suddenly summoned not one, but two Chaos Lances and fired both at the beast, ripping off one of its arms without difficulty before it could summon a shield to repel the last.

"You're not as tough as you seem," Shadow taunted, his Air Shoes flaring to life as he charged forward, "especially compared to the other robots I've come across!"

The Egg Enforcer simply beeped a few times before unleashing a wave of missiles at the dashing Shadow. The ultimate life form simply frowned and swerved past every missiles, leaving explosions in his wake. The hedgehog then vaulted through the air towards the robot and curled into a ball before bouncing off the surface of a clear shield surrounding the Egg Enforcer like a bubble. The ebony hedgehog swore under his breath before bouncing off in the opposite direction and leaving a few Chaos Spears to smash into the shield in his wake, which finally broke the shield.

The hedgehog then kicked off through the air back towards the robot with a burst of flames from his Air Shoes. The robot suddenly swerved around to see him before having all six of its arms cross in front of it, forming a half dome with the same bubble like form. Shadow's rapid punches and kicks bounced off of it before the shield expanded, tossing him back. The ebony hedgehog rolled back before springing to his feet. But the moment he did he was forced to warp out of the way after being hit head on by a massive laser of light right before it tore through the roof, causing it to collapse.

"It can manipulate light? How did Eggman come up with this stuff?" Shadow questioned, frustrated at this new challenge. "This is nothing like the way he once was, such as not even showing himself to us!"

The group of anthros fell through the roof and into the wreckage of the building, which fell through. Shadow suddenly leaped out of the way as two swathing beams passed him. But then the hedgehog thought of a plan, after noticing the light falling through the broken roof and onto the broken pieces of a mirror. The black hedgehog smirked and held his hands out to it, using the Chaos Control to make it reappear in front of him as the machine formed the powerful laser again. The attack hit the mirror and bounced right back, tearing through the shield.

With the chance Shadow got, he wasted no time in unleashing a Chaos Lance, the larger red spear like projectiles shooting right through the center of the machine. With a groan the Egg Enforcer burst apart before exploding. With that done he turned towards Espio and Bark, who were dueling intensely.

"This is just like old times!" Bark exclaimed as he slammed his fist into the ground, sending spikes of ice every which way in a massive shock wave. Espio jumped over it, only to be nailed in the face by the polar bear and sent flying into the ground, flecks of ice falling off a his hard skin. "My team fighting your team, trying to get the better job!"

"In case you haven't noticed," Espio said, grabbing Bark's wrist to gain leverage before swiping a kunai across his chest and drawing spouts of blood, "because of you joining Eggman, your team is far gone."

"Even if that damned Ragnarok took away Bean and Fang left with those weird Chosen people, they'll eventually come back!" Bark yelled, his eyes bloodshot. "And we'll destroy everyone else together!"

"Then why aren't you working with us?" Espio asked, pulling out a scroll. "I mean, we're the ones trying to fight Ragnarok here."

"Because Eggman will on top, and he'll want you destroyed," Bark said, an eerie smile on his face. "And I can't afford another loss, not ever AGAIN!"

_He's out of his mind now, and Eggman knows it. I don't think anyone can save him now, even you Espio,_ Shadow thought to himself. _ And who's the Chosen?_

"Fire Style: Firestorm Jutsu!" Espio bellowed, forming his hand signs as Bark charged up a great amount of energy.

But before either one could finish their attack, a red blur from the sky flew down, a massive fist aimed for Bark's head. The polar bear flipped out of the way, only to avoid three more chao spiraling down at his head. He was knocked down by the chao, and looked up to find not only Shadow's group but Sonic's group standing there, all ready to fight.

"You fools...you don't know what you're up against," Bark smirked, getting up and raising his fist in the air before dropping a smoke bomb down to the ground that he stole from Espio. The heroes tried to follow, but it was useless, as the polar bear was lone gone when the smoke finally lifted.

"Did you see that blast?" Cream asked.

"From a mile away," Sonic said, "And it's all over the news that there's more of these fleets all over the world that have been resurrected from Eggman's old attempts. This isn't over yet."

"But Tails has a plan," Amy told them. "He just told me over communicator. We should just head back to the Mystic Ruins and regroup so he can tell us the full plan."

"Shadow!" Gemini exclaimed, pointing to the sky, "Get us out of here before we're all vaporized! I think until they got that Chaos Core it was the preliminary round!"

The second blast from the Solstice Cannon hit the ground, unleashing a massive dome that overtook not only the entire crater but the rest of the remaining city, everything disappearing between the massive burst of pure chaos energy. As it headed towards the heroes Shadow uttered the words below his breath as the group vanished in a flash of blue before the blast overtook downtown Station Square, too.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And the death of Station Square as we know it kicks off the second part of this arc, which will feature a grand stand against the now deadly mastermind Eggman himself, along with revelations about how all of this is happening. Be sure to review, and hang tight for the next part of this arc which will lead into the story's next thrilling part!


	19. No More

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 19: No More

**Location: Tails' Workshop**

"I'll give you one thing, your fighting skills have improved," Neo Metal Sonic admitted, crackles of lightning surrounding his robotic body. "But without my organic counterpart, you are altogether useless!"

"We'll see about that," Rouge said with her legs tense and spread out in her unique fighting position, panting before looking at her comrades.

Vector and Charmy were both bruised and broken, no fight left in them. The sparking and dented Omega was lying against the side of a tree, one of Tails' gray and yellow Med Bots attempting to repair him. Alice had a unique technique activated, her eyes completely crimson as she stood over her fallen friends and protected them.

Tails pointed his Energy Cannon out and unleashed a barrage of orange lasers at Sonic's mechanical copy, but he simply smirked as the crackles of electricity expanded into a protective dome that bounced them away. In the opening that created Rouge shot forward, swooping low with bombs cradled in both hands. The bat spun forward before unleashing a powerful Screw Kick, her body whirling around in a destructive mass but Metal simply laughed and expanded his Thunder Barrier before releasing it in a 360 degree protective zone.

Rouge fought against the force even though it began to push her back violently, sending sparks into the air. But eventually it sent her flying back, the bat sprawling across the ground before crashing through the wall of the workshop, which was already smoking with much damage caused to it. Metal was impassive even as Rouge's bombs laid at his feet, because in that instant a massive form reached over him and summoned a wave of flames from its robotic hand, causing the explosions to be repelled by the flames.

"There is no challenge in this group. Within that whole tactic I did not have to even move once," Metal stated. "And when your friends show up I will use your half-dead bodies to barter for the Chaos Cores!"

"You keep telling that to yourself hun!" Rouge said, pulling herself out of the side of the workshop, moving into a fighting position again as the looming robot formed in front of Metal.

The robot was about three times the height of Metal, and loomed much like a giant would. It was covered in yellow flame paintings over a sleek silver armored body in addition to having narrow red eyes due to the Metal Sync technique Sonic's copy recently gained. It's head was covered in yellow armor, in addition to jet thrusters lining its back all over. Its legs were mostly silver, and its arms were lined with weapons. The Egg Saber stood over Metal protectively, its red eyes glowing in the anthro like robot's control.

"It is nothing short of foolish to attempt to face me in battle, especially against such odds. There is a reason your comrades chose to have you people stay here," Metal sneered. "It's because they don't want you in their way, and look at how its paid off!"

"Shut up!" Tails shouted before charging up a large orange sphere and releasing it straight at the robotic hedgehog.

The Egg Saber simply roared out as it leaped over Metal in one massive push off before landing and unleashing a powerful shock wave of red. Both combatants flew over it, but then Metal leaped up into the air over Tails and launched downward with his claw out, ready to impale the young inventor. The fox blocked the claw with his Energy Cannon but still found himself tossed towards the ground effortlessly. Tails quickly used his tails to slow his descent before floating into the side of the broken kitchen.

Metal smashed into the floor of the living and knocked down part of the ceiling down behind him, causing the wood to splinter and rays of light to filter down before he lunged at the fox. Tails spun around before kicking him across the face with surprising force, causing him to whirl around before charging electricity down his arm and smashing it into Tails' stomach. The fox coughed up blood as he flew through a wall, through the hallway, and into the kitchen, splinters of the wooden support flying through the air as the fox bounced across the floor.

"Energy Streams!" Tails bellowed, causing multiple, streaming orange rays of light to expel from the barrel of his weapon.

The streams ripped down the foundations, tore through every surface, and destroyed the entire room. But the attack would prove to be useless as Metal was suddenly behind Tails, and as the two turned to unleash their attacks Metal was the winner. The side of the workshop burst into smoke as Tails soared backwards through the air, sparks entwining his body and shocking him as he landed on a large platform of jagged rocks sticking up from the water below the cliff. The fox tried to get up, but Metal was suddenly by him, picking him up effortlessly before charging up more electrical energy within his claw as he reeled it back.

"I would die of laughter," Metal said, "But even after all this detailed AI programming I've been given to replicate emotions, they still will never be real."

"Sonic will stop you," Tails promised, slowly hoisting his Energy Cannon up with the last of his strength. "We can't lose."

"But you will," Metal insisted, "and you know why? Because you fought me like you would Sonic because you know him. And I'm not like Sonic. I'm in it to kill, and that is why you can never win again me."

"Take this!" Tails said before unleashing another Energy Sphere at the robot from point blank. However the hedgehog like robot simply deflected it off his hand, sending it crashing into the water next to the platform.

"It's over for you!" Metal stated before thrusting forward. But he stopped a hair from Tails' chest before suddenly turning on his thrusters and soaring up into the air by the workshop to witness the downfall of his robot. Or so Rouge thought.

As the Egg Saber skidded back it unleashed two flamethrowers from its hand which engulfed the ground, but it left the robot wide open for Rouge's attack, the ripples from the Black Pulse coursing from his body. The bat dodged the large heat lasers from the large mech's eyes before smashing the first kick into the robot's core, followed by a few more with each shooting off the energy from a Black Pulse. The robot tried to fight back by forming blades of a plasma like form over the barrels in its arms but the bat just hit it with more blows, causing the Egg Saber to relinquish the attack. She then hit it with a wave of more blows, each one faster and more powerful than the last until the final blow was unleashed, engulfing the machine in a burst of black ripples.

"Say hello to my Pulse Piledriver!" Rouge exclaimed before blowing a kiss and landing on the steamy ground. "Looks like that's a wrap."

But it wasn't. Though the Metal Sync was knocked off, causing the stunned Metal to drop Tails towards the ground, the machine's now green eyes glowed brightly as the plasma like form drenched over its body in a bright sheen before the machine was completely unharmed. Rouge swore under her breath before drawing more of her Heart Bombs, still having more fight in her.

"The Egg Saber is designed to be unable to kill. As long as it has energy which it can draw in from around it, it cannot be killed as it can convert the heat into energy to regenerate itself," Metal stated before suddenly holding his hands out in the air. "I have other business to attend to, but we'll see each other again eventually. Chaos Control!"

And in a flash of azure the robotic clone was gone, but the Egg Saber was not. The robot simply roared out before charging up masses of flames that amplified in seconds within its barrels, but before the dangerous attack could be unleashed a portal suddenly opened in the air and Luxi suddenly jumped out from its before summoning two staffs and tossing them into the barrels of the machine. The reaction instantly caused the heat attacks to burst from within the Egg Saber, tearing it apart in a massive burst of smoke and flames. All of the heroes came out from the portal before landing and panting heavily.

"Whoa, where'd you guys come from? And how come there were no transmissions since Adabat?" Tails asked. "And Luxi, how'd you beat that thing?"

"Jeez, this kid does ask a lot of questions doesn't he?" Tain chuckled, falling on one knee due to exhaustion.

"I heard the voice of that robotic guy saying that the Egg Saber relied on heat to stay alive. So if there was so much in there I could just use that against the robot," Luxi stated. "He was going the opposite way in the Chaos Control, I think."

"Metal Sonic," Sonic hissed. "I knew he must've caused all of this damage, so I can assume what happened here. And about why we're so out of it..."

"...Eggman blew Station Square off the map with his new Solstice Cannons," Shadow explained, causing the heroes who stayed at the workshop to open their eyes widely in fright. "Imagine the Eclipse Cannon, but with a whole lot more of them and now, it's portable."

"Plus, they only need energy from one Chaos Core," Amy added. "Which sounds ridiculous. I have no idea how he did that!"

"He's a lot different, that's for sure. I don't know what changed, though," Ray stated, looking around. "Say, what happened to Mighty?"

The heroes were suddenly silent. Ray simply looked around and began to piece together the cause of such silence, tears falling down his face. The flying squirrel didn't say a word before breaking down into tears. Cream and Luxi came to his aid, consoling him on the situation while Tails simply looked out in thought. Knuckles walked over to him, knowing that when he thought as hard as this something was up.

"Are you okay?" the echidna asked, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I wish I could say yes. Something just isn't right," the fox replied. "Think about it. Metal attacked us even though he probably already knew from the network of robots that you guys were coming, and he couldn't face all of us together, so he wasn't coming for the Chaos Cores like he said he was. So that means-"

"...he was stalling us," Vector realized, walking over to them. "But from what?"

But the heroes slowly realized as a dark shadow engulfed not only Tails' Workshop, but the entire Mystic Ruins. The massive airship reminded Sonic of back when the Egg Carrier took off after he fought Chaos the second time when it had four emeralds, but this one was completely red and gold, was about fifteen times larger, was outfitted with hundreds of weapons, and was accompanied by many smaller ships trailing behind it, with a much larger Solstice Cannon fitted to the bottom of the largest one, known as the Egg Ozone.

The Solstice Armada flew over them slowly with many Egg Mechs flying around it, and though Sonic wanted to launch up onto it he knew even he wouldn't stand a chance against the massive armada. The blue hedgehog narrowed his eyes, but was even more surprised when a small probe-like machine flew out of the wreckage of the Egg Saber, revealing a small control dock in the middle of a large room full of Egg Mechs on different control consoles overlooking the main window of the tower in the middle of Eggmanland, the doctor's home.

And sitting within the main console was none other than Dr. Eggman, appearing just as he normally would save for the large cape that signified him as the leader of the Neo-Egg Army. He spun around in his console to face the heroes, a devious grin on his face as he waited for all of the heroes to get over their shock and focus on him.

"Are you surprised at how much has changed, Sonic?" Eggman grinned. "I am no longer the same Doctor you once knew. Now, as cliché as it sounds, I will reveal to you all of my plans, because now there is no way to stop it. Matter in fact, you saw it happen for your own eyes. It is already in motion."

"What do you mean?" Rouge asked. "Station Square is only one city."

"Do you think I'm doing one city at a time? No, I've already destroyed about ten cities, and the numbers are growing. Very little can stand in the way of my Solstice Cannons, and then my Neo-Egg Army is there for whatever survives," Eggman explained. "By reviving all of my old armies and bases and then making new ones too, I can have my armies inserted at every point in the world, and no one would know they were active."

The Doctor coughed slightly before returning to the same grin.

"From there on, it was just a matter of making the Solstice Cannons which I used the Chaos Cores for. I knew about them far before you did, and unmasked their presence just at the right time to send you and Ragnarok away. I only needed one, after all," the Doctor continued. "And now, you have just seen me unleash my Solstice Armada, which is the head of my army."

"That's why Metal distracted us!" Tails exclaimed.

"It will pick me up, let me announce my global plans, and then I can use the largest cannon in my arsenal to blow the United Federation off the map, followed by all of the other oppositions and build more of Eggmanland on top of it. There will nothing no hero, or GUN can do then. Victory is assured," Eggman concluded. "And now that the remote control on this robot is dying too, I will see you soon, either when you choose to challenge me which will be futile or when you choose to surrender and have me blow you off the face of the planet. Your choice."

And then the screen went dark as the very last of the Solstice Armada passed over them, allowing the light of dusk to cast down upon the Mystic Ruins. The heroes were in complete shock, that was, until Ray rose to his feet, tears still staining the corners of his eyes.

"We have to act now!" Ray urged. "I will not let Mighty die in vain. We can't use a big group because then we'll be seen no matter what, so only some of us should go and the rest should guard the Chaos Cores we leave with them."

"But Ray, look at you. You don't know if you're even over it enough to fight," Gemini reasoned, which was surprising considering its...him.

"No, this is what Mighty would have wanted. We both traveled to escape being heroes and avenging those who have been hurt by Eggman like we were when our families were killed," Ray countered. "I'm obliged to helping, and if we don't do something now then Eggman wins."

The heroes rose to their feet, determined to stop the mad doctor. As the Solstice Armada moved towards the mechanical base of Eggmanland the remaining heroes gathered in the engineering part of the workshop, which was largely still intact.

"Alright, I think those who should go are those who would have the most experience with Eggman, like I mean those who've been around him long enough, because even though he's changed a lot he still the same old dude," Sonic stated.

"What's the strategy in that?" Gemini asked. "I mean, shouldn't those who he hasn't prepared for go?"

"I guess you're right, but this is fitting, you know. It's got that final stand feeling, like there's no turning back," Sonic responded.

"Can't blame him for that," Alice commented, chewing on a pack of Luxi's sugar twists she always carries around.

"So, I guess that's me, you, Omega, Ray, Tails, and Amy," Knuckles said, "Doesn't sound like a bad group. The rest of you guys need to recover and prepare, we don't know what Ragnarok's doing in the midst of all of this."

"We can take my new Aeolus aircraft model to get to Eggmanland before them and catch up! This way we can hit Eggman before he even gets on the Egg Ozone," Tails said, proud of his split second ingenious plan. "Let's move out, guys!"

Minutes later, the remaining heroes looked as the dream team group of six emerged in an all new airship at the other end of the opened ramp over the cliff. Pure air flowed out of the back of the blue airship with yellow streams running up and down it. The large clear cockpit was outlined in gray and yellow and the tail rising up from the tops to streamline the wind was coated in silver. The Aeolus aircraft flared to life as pure wind flowed out the other end before blasting off after the Solstice Armada, towards Eggmanland, and to stop Eggman's most dangerous plan yet.

* * *

**Location: Eggmanland**

"Are they coming after the Solstice Armada here?" Eggman asked one of the Egg Bishops from his Egg Console.

"Yes, Master Eggman," the robot reported. "The Solstice Armada has already spotted them trailing the combined exhaust to mask themselves. The Egg Skyblades and the Egg Sky Reaper are ready to shoot them down upon sight."

"Good, because they do not not know of the last part of my plan," Eggman grinned. "I would not let them come if I didn't plan to eliminate them personally so they would never even stop me again."

"Yes Master," the robot nodded before walking out of the room, issuing radio wave orders to the other robots without saying a word.

"I will no longer sit by while my ambitions are squashed upon by everyone. No longer, and no more," Eggman cackled. Project: Solstice was far underway now.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: The two parter coming up next, Endgame Egg, will finish off this explosive arc and move us into the general part of this story, which will reveal the full story of the conflict along with all new villains in Eggman's wake that may be even stronger than Ragnarok. Will this dream team of heroes against Eggman be able to stop his grand plan and his insane ambitions before the entire world becomes a nightmare of Eggman's dreams? Review and hang tight for both parts, coming up very soon!


	20. Endgame Egg Part One

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 20: Endgame Egg Part One

**Location: Eggmanland**

"Sonic, can you see anything through this haze? Once you see the red clouds of Eggmanland tell me and let me know what's happening down there," Tails requested.

"I got you bro," Sonic assured, sitting on the wing of the Aeolus as it carved through the massive cloud of exhaust left behind by the Solstice Armada. "I'm looking out like a hawk."

All of the heroes were completely tense, knowing what lied ahead of them, including Eggman's greatest machinations of the Neo-Egg Army in addition to a massive armada of airships that made the Aeolus appear as a speck in comparison. The Doctor had really outdone himself, even Sonic admitted. The blue hedgehog crouched low and squinted attempting to see anything through it to no avail. The minutes passed by and nothing changed.

But then finally the wind picked up and the exhaust blew away for a second to reveal Eggmanland. Massive towers, factories, bases, and armories of the blood red color familiar with Eggman's creations rose above the toxic smog that covered the city below. Rows and rows of the Neo-Egg Army robots moved about in battle formations, making preparations and arming themselves with the massive golden statues of Eggman rising even higher above the airways and factories circling the towers. It was no surprise that GUN and all the heroes of the world had such a difficult time attempting to break through Eggman's main headquarters.

"Tails, I've found it, and it's gonna be a bit hard attempting to break through all of this," Sonic told him. "We've never faced any numbers of such power before!"

"Wait sweetie, if you can see them through this now, can't they see us?" Amy asked.

"No way," Knuckles said before looking out at the front to find a massive wave of tracking missiles heading for them. "I take that back!"

"Evasive actions, get ready guys!" Tails shouted before launching forward.

The Aeolus launched over one of the main plazas before a wave of gunfire shot up at them. The Aeolus reared up, but then found itself faced with the bottom of one of the Solstice Armada's massive airships where waves of Egg Mechs unleashed hell from above. But all the same Tails still barely managed to weave the Aeolus through every gunfire while letting the least powerful attacks simply bounce off the Aeolus' shields.

"Between the buildings!" Ray called out, pointing in the middle of two towers.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Tails screamed out before launching past multiple missiles which burst in the air behind him while others still continued to follow him.

The Aeolus weaved through tunnels, highways, railings, and towers and the missiles burst all around the fox, shaking the aircraft violently. One missile smashed into the Aeolus' side, but the cooling systems ripped the flames off and Tails managed to steer the plane back. At that moment a wave of yellow and crimson fighter aircrafts swooped down and unleashed bombs from above and missiles from the sides. Tails quickly shot forward before performing an effortless barrel roll between multiple towers and railing that barely fit the Aeolus-the missiles burst into the sides and cleanly knocked the tower off.

"We've got big company!" Sonic called out, holding on for his dear life as the Aeolus shot through the city at velocities that made the blue hedgehog proud. Even he though Tails couldn't build something this amazing.

"I got it!" Tails called out as the Aeolus broke the sound barrier, along with the Egg Skyblades chasing him.

Suddenly the Aeolus dropped back as the Egg Skyblades shot forward in front of it. The Skyblades stopped swerved around as the Aeolus disappeared into the shadows of the exhaust, but this wouldn't stay for long. Suddenly the Aeolus emerged from the smoke in a massive storm of gunfire that rattled the heavens and ripped apart everything it touched it massive bursts of flame and smoke. Some of the Egg Skyblades looped out of the way and through the towers, but the others were too slow, falling apart in instants.

But the others came back for more as the Aeolus sped past them, breaking the sound barrier once again. Tails sent the aircraft ascending into the red toxic clouds with the Egg Skyblades not too far behind, unleashing the own rockets. The Aeolus barrel rolled while looping to avoid them, using the natural cover of the red gases as gunfire would rip through the heavens every few seconds. Finally the Aeolus turned around and was suddenly sent flying back as the Skyblades held true to their name, the very air around them turning them into giant sharp metal blades.

Tails managed to steady the plane as Sonic wisely chose to jump into the cockpit before he was thrown off or burned to a crisp by the toxic clouds. The fox launched down to the ground as fast as he could with the Skyblades chasing him in their bladed attack before swooping low, scratching against the ground before lifting off. The Skyblades tried to imitate the fox, but to no avail as they tore across the ground in massive explosions of wreckage and fire that destroyed countless of their own. Two more Skyblades still continued to chase them, but the Aeolus simply waited for them to drop out of their bladed forms before emptying its rockets into them, causing the massive explosions to wipe even more of the Neo-Egg Army preparing on the ground.

"Impressive flight combat skills fox," Omega observed. "Not even Eggman has shown himself with such prowess in the time I was aligned with him."

"Yeah, Tails! You beat every one of the Skyblades all by yourself!" Knuckles added, whistling enthusiastically.

"Thanks, I guess," Tails said, embarrassed slightly by the high praise.

As the Aeolus flew out into the main plaza overlooking the main tower shaped like the head of Eggman they knew they were in for a lot. The thrusters on the massive Egg Ozone flared to life as Tails realized that with the computer sync system Metal and Eggman were using it would take less than a minute for the robots to load in and for Eggman to get inside with the Chaos Core.

"I think we should get moving now!" Tails exclaimed. "The Egg Ozone's about to take off for Central City, and I don't think we could afford that!"

But unfortunately the team of heroes would not have the option. Suddenly another Skyblade shot through the air, this one being much larger and having blue instead of yellow. This one then unformed into a much larger form as it passed by Tails, becoming a bipedal, massive humanoid robot with its wings reshaping into a mechanical scythe. The Egg Sky Reaper slammed the Aeolus into the side of the tower, knocking it down while the Aeolus flipped through the air before skidding across the ground. Tails flew it away while Amy and Knuckles jumped out and moved into fighting positions.

The Egg Sky Reaper shot forward, knocking Knuckles and Amy across the ground as it turned into a living blade. The two got back up just in time for the robot to launch a deadly energy wave from its scythe-Amy could barely block it off the edge of her hammer. The pink hedgehog launched forward with her hammer and bashed the robot multiple times, but was then blown back by a cool wave of wind from the hilt of the scythe.

The pink hedgehog rose to her feet and blew a Storming Hearts at the robot, who simply avoided it before speeding behind the fuchsia anthro. The reaper unleashed a combo of sword swings with the cold crescents which Amy simply avoided before rushing the robot. But the reaper simply reeled its hand back before unleashing a wave of cool wind out of it. The hedgehog was tossed back into the side of a tower, and before Knuckles could come to her aid the Egg Sky Reaper switched back to its bladed form for a second before ripping past Knuckles and stepping in between the two, ready to unleash a killing blow on the guardian echidna.

"I'm not out of this yet!" Amy said.

The magenta hedgehog slowly raised up before swiping out her hammer in a wide stance and unleashing her Hammer Tornado at the robot. The machine was swept up in the blast and tossed back, but before it could be damaged much it swiped out with its scythe once again, cutting through the magenta winds with another cool blue crescent. In response the Egg Sky Reaper flipped its scythe around before unleashing a barrage of cool blue projectiles at the hedgehog.

She blocked the first few off her hammer, but they formed into spikes of ice that dragged the weight of the hammer down. The heart heroine found herself vulnerable to more attacks because of this, but in an instant Knuckles there, using his Megaton Hook technique to swing around in a circle with his fist out, creating great heat which melted the ice like projectiles instead of letting them stick. The echidna unleashed a Thunder Arrow and sent it shooting the Egg Sky Reaper, causing it to falter for a moment as the projectile pierced the robot's side which gave the two heroes time to think.

"This robot doesn't have a very reaper theme, save for it's lethal attacks and the scythe. I've never heard of an ice creating reaper," Knuckles said.

"Wait a minute...if those attacks were so cold..." Amy realized. "Is Bark piloting that thing?"

No one responded, but then the green head of the aircraft like robot fell away to reveal Bark. His fur was wild and unkempt, and his eyes were even more bloodshot than before. The cool blue aura spread from Bark and into the rest of the machine, especially along the scythe. Bark swiped out with the scythe multiple times, sending a barrage of cold energy crescents at the pink hedgehog, who was tossed back and skidded across the ground. Knuckles caught her and helped her to her feet before Bark loomed over them, floating in the air with the scythe ready for the killing blow.

"You can blame Eggman all you want, but it's heroes like you who doomed Bean, Fang, and me to do things like this!" Bark snarled. "I don't even care about Eggman anymore. I just want you heroes dead so I can avenge Fang and Bean."

"But you could never beat all of us. We haven't even revealed our full power yet!" Amy said, feeling sympathetic for the crazy polar bear.

"I know, but I at least have to try!" Bark screamed, before tears streamed down his face, causing all of the heroes to stop. "I know that there's no going back. I just can't do this anymore."

"Then just stop. There's still hope for you," Ray pleaded. "Mighty's death was just as hard on me, but I'm okay, you know?"

"You don't!" Bark retorted. "They were all I ever had...you wouldn't know that pain!"

"Bark..." Amy murmured, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes as Sonic solemnly stared at him.

"Crap," the bear chuckled as the helmet formed back on and the eyes of the Egg Sky Reaper flashed purple. "Eggman's going to kill me now for betraying him. I'll never get out of this in time."

"That's horrible!" Amy said, Sonic just staring in shock at the Doctor's turnaround.

"Will you do me a favor Knuckles, and let us have one more attack against each other so I can remember those times I fought you in the old Team Chaotix with Bean and Fang by my side?" Bark asked, Knuckles nodding as he collected high amounts of energy into his fist. "Give it all you have."

And then both fighters launched forward with Knuckles' fist reeled back and Bark's scythe reeled back before they clashed in the final attack. Time seemed to stand still as the eyes of the Egg Sky Reaper turned red and their attacks made contact, signifying the end for Bark.

"Deep Impact!"

"Glacial Torrent!"

The rushing explosions and rings of impact below back through the ai away from the massive shapes of ice that flowed out of the attack, both attacks equaling out as they destroyed the machinery and Eggman's robots all around them. Finally the attacks stopped, leaving a massive crater in their wake with embers falling from the sky and a massive iceberg flowing back. Bark lied in the middle of the crater, bloody and motionless with the Egg Sky Reaper parts lying all around him. On the other side Knuckles fell to the ground, stained with blood and ice coating his fur. Sonic came to his side and picked him up, the echidna panting with exhaustion.

"That was a good one...it took almost all of the energy out of me," Knuckles admitted, "I know I won't be able to fight Eggman now, but at least the deed was done."

"You're insane, you're really insane," Sonic muttered. "Ray, can you get Bark's body while Amy cleans them off?"

"Why would he save him?" Ray asked, looking at his lifeless eyes. "He died after trying to kill us, multiple times."

"Well, grief does a lot to people, and I guess he did redeem himself in the end," Sonic said. "He at least deserves a proper burial, you know?"

"Uh, whatever," Ray shrugged before hoisting his body over his shoulders putting the polar bear's body in the rear hold of the airship while putting Knuckles in the cockpit where Amy worked on healing him.

The rest of the heroes got into the ship just as a group of rockets narrowly missed the Aeolus, which Tails took as a cue to blast off. The aircraft flew over the few towers around the square just as the Solstice Armada took off again from different parts of Eggman, each ship heading towards Central City. The Aeolus shot past a few more Egg Mechs waiting to open fire before lining up with one of the airships and moving to land on it.

* * *

**Location: Solstice Armada**

The Aeolus landed with a quite whine, but the soft peace wouldn't last long in such dangerous territory. The group suddenly jumped out and ducked under the airship as it was rocked by gunfire from a group of Egg Mechs who spotted them flying in, these ones having blood colored armor with yellow stripes to show their greater strength in comparison.

"Looks like we got on the ship, but I knew Eggman would be ready for this," Tails said. "We need to get out of the way so that we don't get blown apart in the process."

"I can Chaos Control us, but only to the next ship," Sonic offered. "But that would mean we would leave our only way of escape over here."

"Don't worry, the Aeolus can autopilot and be there when we need it," Tails said, hitting a button on his Energy Cannon.

In that instant the Aeolus swooped up into the air before rushing the Egg Mechs in wave of lethal gunfire before taking off to attack some more. "It won't be like when I pilot it, but it'll work enough so that we aren't completely overwhelmed."

In that instant, two Egg Bishops followed by four Egg Ballistics landed on the top of the Solstice Armada airship before sounding an alarm on seeing the heroes. Sonic quickly concentrated and pulled the energy from within him, and though he found it difficult the group vanished in a flash of green right before the gunfire from the robots smashed into the roof. The heroes looked at the confused squadron of robots from the Solstice Armada airship in front of it before looking forward-they would have a hell of a lot to go through to reach that main cannon.

But all the same, the heroes put their hands together before throwing them up into the air. They raced forward as wave of Egg Mechs came to face them, and they all launched into a battle for the fate of the United Federation from Eggman's hands.

"Let's do this!"

* * *

**Location: Industry City**

Just as they had so many times before, the two cloaked figures stood atop a massive broken pipe that overlooked the city. Steam and gases full of pollution littered the city below as all sorts of abandoned machinations roamed about. But now they were fully activated and moved with a purpose-something was different now. They also now were outfitted with an assortment of weapons, all designed to kill. The labyrinth of buildings, plants, and factories stood before the massive structure that was the central plant, feeding communications to the rest of the city through the Satellite Balcony above it.

"Do you not wish to see your Master's fight against the blue hedgehog?" the first cloaked figure asked, this one floating slightly above the ground. "The victor may be important, and as I know it may bring you a sense of closure, of which I cannot experience myself."

"I know of what the results will be," the second being said, this one having a very familiar voice. "The rat has been able to harness his will and heart to great lengths and is now very strong. Eggman doesn't stand a chance. If only I could harness that same power!"

"Do not worry," the floating figure said. "If our plan succeeds there will be nothing that will stop the both of us. We will gain that which we cannot wield by nature!"

And then, both cloaked figures disappeared in a fast moving energy transport of turquoise, racing over the city.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: The Industry City little plot line has not disappeared, and will be fully explore din the next part of this story. The next chapter will have the final fight for the fate of the world against Eggman, and will have insane twists, even faster action, and revelations that will end this arc with a bang. So please, please, please review, I promised myself I wouldn't update until I got the usual ten but I won't hold back. Just be sure to review every chapter individually as you read them! Hang tight for the second part of this finale and the last chapter of this story part!


	21. Endgame Egg Part Two

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 21: Endgame Egg Part Two

**Location: Solstice Armada**

"Take this!" Sonic shouted, smashing his Sonic Wind through an Egg Bishop's head as he jumped right into the fray, a group of Egg Mechs instantly swarming him.

The blue hedgehog bounced out of the crowd with his limbs flying in break dancing movements, sending the mechs flying everywhere. As the blue hedgehog fell down he curled into a ball and smashed in an Egg Ballistic, sending it flying back as the rockets it fired flew off in random directions. Sonic landed and spun around before kicking off into the air and cleanly smacking two other robots into oblivion.

As he landed two more Egg Bishops fired lasers at the the blue hedgehog, but suddenly Tails was in front of him, using his Energy Streams to deflect the different lasers before tossing Static Bombs into the crow and destroying more of them. The two stood back to back, destroying the enemies with Sonic Winds and Energy Spheres while circling each other. Once the group around them was destroyed more mechs rose from the sides of the airship, including a group of pod like robots with long wings, which Sonic realized were actually the real form of the smaller Egg Skyblades.

"You're getting better Tails, I gotta say!" Sonic said, impressed. "You killed more of those guys than I did just with that cannon."

"Thanks, I've been working really hard on getting stronger!" Tails exclaimed. "Metal will be the last one I lose to in all of this!"

But then the Skyblades surrounded the heroes, and though Tails destroyed many with his Energy Lasers, the rest glowed yellow to use their blade attack, and they knew they wouldn't stand a chance when all of them attacked at once. But then Ray was in front of them, his tail circling around him as he whirled around and pulled the energy right out of their Blade Charge before charging forward himself using his Soaring Glide to shoot through all of the robots in his own Blade Charge. He then landed by Sonic and Tails, absorbing energy attacks while destroying the robots with this combat skills.

"Come on guys, don't leave me hanging," Ray said as a large robot with gigantic orange cannons replacing his arms with scarlet flower like protrusions on the end and spider like yellow legs stopped hovering with its jet pack and landed on the airship roof. "Wanna help me with that?"

"I think Omega's got it," Amy said, the Eggman rogue unleashing a volley of missiles to destroy more Egg Skyblades before swerving around and aiming both of its black lasers at the robot instantly, hoping to finish it in one blow.

But the Egg Radiate simply caught the attacks in a field n front of the flower like fragments before firing rays of light energy at the roof, causing the heroes to fall into the body of the ship, landing within some sort of energy plant. The Egg Radiate drew in a great a great amount of energy before unleashing a barrage of solar energy shots, but Ray absorbed it through his tail before firing it back at the robot. The Egg Radiate reabsorbed its own attack before returning and multiplying its power, sending it flying at Ray and tossing him back into the wall.

The flying squirrel still had a lot of fight in him however, and bounced off the wall before rushing at the Egg Radiate. The machine fired off pillars of solar energy that fell from the heavens but the flying squirrel easily avoided them before kicking off into the air and using his flight skills to use the air and fly around the machine before turning back around and dashing towards it, avoiding a variety of light laser attacks and grimacing a laser tore through his side.

The flying squirrel was suddenly below the hovering Egg Radiate, kicking it up into the air before shooting up above it, tucking in his flaps that allowed him to fly, and shooting downwards like a spinning torpedo while the yellow energy turned him into a living projectile, the velocity suddenly becoming deadly as he shot straight through the Egg Radiate, a yellow trail going through it and ripping it apart as the flying squirrel landed on the ground without breaking a sweat.

"That thing stood no chance against my Descending Missile attack!" Ray stated, smirking confidently before looking out of one of the whole the Egg Radiate made in the airship. "Come on guys, I can actually see Central City on the horizon!"

"That's just great," Sonic said. "We have to keep moving. If you're busy fighting something else that's okay, the Aeolus will pick everyone up!"

The heroes rushed forward through a massive hole in the side of the airship with Sonic in the lead, free falling right before the Egg Mechs responded and moved closer. Knowing this the blue hedgehog bounced off of the mechs with a Homing Attack before landing on top of a large Egg Skyblade. Tails used his Energy Cannon to remotely hack into the Egg Skyblade before having it cruise them forward through the air. Though more Egg Mechs and Skyblades approached from all sides Omega suddenly transformed his arms into the largest machine guns Sonic had ever seen before blasting every Egg Mech out of the air.

"Alright guys, get ready for the drop!" Sonic said, a fleet of Skyblades coming from all sides at the aircraft they were standing on slowly moved towards the Egg Ozone in the lead.

Sonic and the others leaped off of the Skyblade as a swarm of Egg Mechs rushed towards them, knowing they couldn't take those numbers at this point, diving through the brisk air towards the end of the Egg Ozone. The heroes didn't think they would make it, but they all managed to get onto the rear of the massive airship after pushing themselves atop the edge.

"Well, that was real exciting," Amy said, hoisting Knuckles atop her back as he could barely take the fall from the tornado to reach their destination. "I'll take care of Knuckles from here on out. The four of you guys could take care of the rest."

The heroes jumped down into the main bay of the Solstice Armada, where blood red walls and floors were outlined by pulsing green cables and lines. There was a constant hum below the heroes with slightly vibrated the floor underneath them-it was the clearly due to the main Solstice Cannon being built into the bottom of the Egg Ozone. Clear glass windows overlooked the mountains, plains, now gray, stormy clouds, and the large sea below with Central City now being much larger on the horizon-they weren't far away at all. The top of the Egg Ozone was open, allowing Sonic to see up past the wires, pipes, and other machinery to view the heavens above.

"The Control Room is not far ahead!" Omega declared. "Through there is the key to stopping the main Solstice Cannons and possibly the other ones."

"Wow, Eggman has really outdone himself," Tails said. "This is better than the Egg Carrier, the Egg Cruiser, and the Star Cruiser!"

"That's odd," Amy said, looking at the masses of robots roaming about and arming themselves. "These robots are very powerful, just look at them, but with all of the chaos we caused it's obvious that we're here. They aren't even attacking us."

"So that means someone issued an order," Ray said. "I wonder who it could be."

"I know," Sonic said, narrowing his eyes and leaping back. The other heroes, though unsure of the danger, leaped back as well.

In that instant a massive robot burst from the ground, causing the heroes to cover their eyes from the smoke that rose up in its wake. The robot that emerged had four massive wing like cyan energy protrusions, two on each dark red plated shoulder. Blood crimson plating covered the robot's upper arms, rotating neck with orange lights lining up and down both rows, and legs. The robot's lower right arm was completely black and was a massive gatling gun along with many other types of weapons lining the barrel. The lower left arm was a long, sword like drill which rotated at dangerous speeds and crackled with orange arcs of electricity. The robot also had rocket launchers on the pad attached to its back in addition to four jade colored pods around its waist. The head of the machine was a light green cockpit which housed the Egg Console, with Eggman at the controls.

"It's been so long since we've seen each other last," Eggman grinned. "When was it, the Gaia incident?"

"I'll admit, your plan was good, but your time is up," Ray said. "Because of you, Bean and Bark are dead, and now all this chaos is afoot."

"Thank you for the gratitude, but you do not understand my position," Eggman replied. "After all these years, of being considered a joke like I had all my life and failing at every turn, I just had finally had enough. And now, with his genius plan, there is now way I can lose. As of right now, twenty cities have already been annihilated by my Solstice Cannons. And once my main Solstice Cannon wipes out the United Federation in one blow, there will be nothing to stop me."

"You're wrong!" Tails replied. "All of us heroes will be here to stop you, no matter how much you destroy!"

"You surely aren't showing your intelligence now, Tails," Eggman laughed. "Why do you think I allowed you to even approach Eggmanland? We saw you way before and the Skyblades could have knocked you out of the air before you even saw them through the clouds, but you did get rid of Bark for me, and now I can personally destroy you myself, while getting some entertainment instead of just shooting you out of the sky."

"That was your mistake!" Omega exclaimed. "Now we will destroy your machine and the rest of your Neo-Egg Army before we destroy your cannons!"

"Yeah, all of us heroes have gotten stronger. Your Chaos Core and fancy machine can't beat our teamwork," Sonic claimed.

"What a foolish idea," Eggman scoffed. "My Egg Dragoon Mk II is stronger than all of you combined and has my Chaos Core in it. I can still activate the main cannon from the Chaos Core in here, too. But I will admit, you do have a chance."

"I guess one of us will be the victor here, and the other will die," Sonic said. "This reminds me of that first time I fought you in Green Hill, but now the stakes are a hell of lot higher. I hope your ready to fight at full power, because I will."

"You don't mean you're going to fight him alone?" Amy questioned, concerned for her lover's safety.

"I'll be okay," Sonic answered, giving his toothy grin and a reassuring thumbs-up. "I'm doing this for old time's sake. Trust me, I'll be okay. Go stop the Solstice Cannons. Eggman won't leave it unguarded, but I know you guys will be okay. Amy, you can keep Knuckles here and heal him while looking after me so you don't have to worry."

The heroes nodded before Ray, Tails, and Omega ran past the two fighters and into a side door which led down into the dark depths of the Egg Ozone where great challenges awaited them. But Sonic simply turned around and got into a fighting position, calling upon his full as his eyes blazed with cyan and azure winds blew wildly around him. The Egg Dragoon loaded its right arm, filling each weapon along it while readying its Drill Sword with arcs of electricity before holding it like one would in a sword duel.

"Get ready, cause here I come!" Sonic said, concentrating the flaring blue winds around him.

And then the titanic battle began.

Sonic leaped up into the air and unleashed a mighty Sonic Wind, the gale of blue wind shooting at the mighty mech. Eggman simply deflected the attack with a loose but unstable crescent of electricity that waved out from his Drill Sword. As the attacks collided the wind and electricity forces opposed each other violently but Sonic simply blazed past it and charged forward at the Egg Dragoon Mk II. The Egg Dragoon blocked the assault of kicks and punches with its Drill Sword, but Sonic had a powerful Sonic Storm hidden and smashed the attack into the Drill Sword.

The massive burst of blue wind that ensued blew the robot away and sent it smashing into the side of a wall while knocking a group of Egg Mechs away. The blue hedgehog whistled and relaxed, but in that moment the new Egg Dragoon cut through the winds with a slicing arc of electricity. Before Sonic could react Eggman held the Drill Sword out forward and aimed it before firing the drill off at the hedgehog, the spinning projectile shooting at him like a long missile. The blue hedgehog suddenly turned around and ran into the labyrinth of metal workings with the drill rapidly approaching him.

"Wh-whoa!" Sonic shouted before rushing as fast as he could, leaping from pipe to pipe and grinding along the wires as the drill continued to follow him, punching through everything in its path and never slowing.

The blue hedgehog ran along a massive bridge to escape it, blue winds gusting around his arm as prepared a Sonic Wind to use against it. But when he turned around the Egg Dragoon Mk II was there, and Sonic instantly realized that Eggman knew a lot more about where they were fighting than Sonic did as he suddenly fired a wave of blazing bullets at the hedgehog. The blue blur sidestepped a few of the shots which scorched the bridge before he leaped off and dived onto another bridge below. The Egg Dragoon Mk II fired a massive cyan sphere ahead of him which impacted with the ground and sent out a massive impacting explosion of cyan energy which formed into ice instantly.

The blue hedgehog leaped out of the way of the Freeze Bomb which instantly formed into a small iceberg and spun around to find Eggman floating above the bridge, another Drill Sword at the ready which he held at Sonic in a challenging way. The blue hedgehog complied and leaped off the bridge, clinging to a wall before racing along it as flaming gunfire rattled the walls behind him. The blue hedgehog leaped off, lined up with the cockpit of the second Egg Dragoon, and slammed into it with a Sonic Boom that rattled the cockpit and sent the Egg Dragoon crashing through a few more bridges before landing on the floor. A crack actually spread the cockpit, causing Eggman to look in shock.

"And here's the final blow!" Sonic shouted, holding a Sonic Storm in his hand as he came down upon the machine.

But Eggman wasn't out of the count yet. The Egg Dragoon suddenly released a burst of fiery energy in all directions to knock out Sonic's guard before he swiped out with his Drill Sword, shocking the azure furred hero and slicing him across his chest, drawing a stream of blood which fell to the floor. As the hedgehog landed the machine suddenly landed, stomping on his chest and pushing down before holding his Drill Sword at his face. The hedgehog coughed up a great amount of blood as he finally began to move, feeling the heat of the drill's tip in his face.

"It's amazing how quickly the tides turn, don't you think?" Eggman asked. "A moment ago you thought you had me, but now it's your end."

"Someone's...a bit confident," Sonic chuckled. "It's not even close to over!"

"How are you going to get out of this one?" Eggman asked. "You have no movement, so I could wait for your ribs to crack and do the job for me or I could kill you by moving my weapon just a few more inches forward."

"I think the answer may just be that your fall on me cracked the floor," Sonic smirked, and then it did.

The Egg Dragoon Mk II simply flew up as the floor fell out from under them, while the hedgehog have fell to his doom. Normally the hedgehog would be dead, but Eggman knew better than that. Sonic rebounded off of the falling pieces followed by launching up with a Sonic Wind in each hand before shooting one out, smashing the robot in the waist. The Egg Dragoon Mk II was rattled by the attack, but it wasn't over yet. Sonic landed on its neck and smashed the other Sonic Wind into the cockpit where the crack was, shattering the outside green layer to reveal the clear layer of the Egg Console underneath.

Before Sonic could attack again the Egg Dragoon Mk II tossed him backwards into the air, causing him to land of the roof where Eggman swooped past Sonic and to the edge of the front of the Solstice Armada. The two rested for a moment, staring each other down as the rain began to pour. The Egg Ozone began to slow as it passed over Prison Island-it wouldn't be very long before they were in range and Eggman's dream would become the world's permanent nightmare.

"The rain is pouring now," Sonic said as lightning bolts struck down from the heavens, illuminating both of the fighter's solemn faces. "Looks like the end for one of us is soon."

"Then let's end this," Eggman said, holding out the Drill Sword like an arrow.

The world seemed to go dark in comparison to the swirling light that was the result of heavily concentrated energy. Cyan energy mixed in with electricity and flames and formed a powerful head of many unstable energies, and the final attack became complete as the head engulfed Eggman in size. Sonic formed a quick Sonic Storm, but it was barely complete and the attack seemed useless in comparison.

"Goodbye, Sonic!"

Then the attack was fired. The blue hedgehog thrust his attack forward but then suddenly something else was between Sonic and the attack, something alive. The attack made an impact that seemed to shake the ship and rock the world, and as Ray fell, the drill halfway inside his chest, Sonic's world suddenly slowed to a crawl.

"No...not you, too."

"I'm sorry, but I knew you would be in trouble and I just let them go on ahead of me. I couldn't leave you behind like that," Ray apologized, falling in Sonic's arms. "I absorbed the energy somehow, but I couldn't block the actual drill."

"It's okay," Sonic said, tears falling down his face, "you did your best. But...why?"

"Don't worry about me," Ray assured. "I just...knew this is what I was supposed to do. Besides, I don't think I could've went on without Mighty, and maybe I was right about that. But I know...you guys will do big things...I have my peace now..."

And then the life faded from Ray's eyes. Sonic closed them before setting him aside, but Eggman chose no to wait. The Doctor swiped out with the Drill Sword, unleashing a violent Static Wind that tossed Ray's body across the roof and Sonic's body into a massive fin like shape sticking up from the roof-the hedgehog felt the wind leave his lungs. As he fell the Egg Dragoon Mk II approached slowly, Eggman taking the sweet road to his victory.

"Looks like this is your end, Sonic! What Ray did doesn't change anything!" Eggman exclaimed, charging up his Drill Sword. "I just hit the countdown! You have 15 seconds before your world goes to hell!"

_Don't give up yet, Sonic. You've got a lot to do and me, Bark, Bean, and Ray don't want you to die now and leave this world in vain._

_Mighty?_ Sonic questioned, but all the same nodded and took in the foreign energies. In that instant a golden aura flared up around him, causing his fur to stand on end and his eyes to turn into a deep crimson color. The blue hedgehog concentrated and built up a normal Sonic Storm, but this one was then suddenly tripled in size and turned completely golden.

"Super Sonic Wind!"

Without questioning what he was doing the azure furred hero raced forward, his attack impacted against Eggman's Drill Sword. As the golden wind and yellow electricity impacted by all logic Eggman should have won but the hedgehog's attack completely destroyed the mech's arm before the sphere of gale like destruction smashed through the chest of the Egg Dragoon Mk II, and by that point Eggman could not abandon his creation. Golden light enveloped the machine as Sonic picked up Ray's body and the auto-piloted Aeolus flew up behind him with Amy and Knuckles already in it.

"See you Eggman," Sonic saluted before climbing into the machine. And this time, he didn't taunt the Doctor as he left him to die.

* * *

**Location: Industry City**

The two figures stood at the top of a massive pipe within an open factory, though this time one of the figures pulled his hood off and held a transmitter within his claw with the Eggman insignia on it.

"Are you sure you want to send this?" the second figure asked.

"Of course," Neo Metal Sonic said, his cloak flapping in the breeze as he sent the final transmission. And with that, the two were encircled by the turquoise energy which spirited them away across the city once again. "It is the only way our plans will begin."

* * *

**Location: Solstice Armada**

As Eggman's mech burned up, the pieces falling as the bloody Doctor fell to his aquatic doom, the transmission was sent to Eggman, and was the last thing he heard before his human limitations became his death.

"**You, Doctor, have given me more knowledge, experience, and power than anyone else ever has, even myself. You, in fact, gave me life. But is not real life. Me and my new associate have a very important mission to take part in, as though you tried your best to complete me, I am not truly whole like the blue rat my existence mimics is, and so I must unleash my own plan now you are dead. And no, I do not loathe you for holding me back."**

"Damn you Metal...you could have saved me!" Eggman cursed.

"**Matter in fact, I thank you. Because now I know what I must do...in order to become a whole. I will obtain the key to the universe's mysteries, of which you could not comprehend. I will obtain a heart."**

And then the Egg Console exploded against the surface of the water followed by the rest of the Solstice Armada, destroying the Doctor once and for all. And as the Aeolus flew away and back towards the Mystic Ruins, the blue hedgehog looking back at his greatest enemy's end, he could only lie to himself that it was over, at least for now.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so that's it! Please catch up with a review for every chapter, let me know of what you think and get ready for the next exciting part of this story with three more exciting arcs now that Eggman and Ray are dead and Metal has been revealed to have started his own plan as one of our mysterious factors. So hang tight for the first chapter of this new part coming up in a week or so, entitled Killswitch Engage.

PS: Longest chapter ever!


	22. Killswitch Engage

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 22: Killswitch Engage

**Location: Industry City**

The dark night barely made an impact on the city of pollution, the haze of chemicals hovering on the bottom levels of the labyrinth cities and over the polluted water that ran through the streets. The air was unbearably sticky and unusually hot spurts of rain fell in certain areas while not in others-it was safe to say it would be very hard for a normal anthro to live here. The hums of machinery and the clanks of moving pumps and gears could be heard from across the city

The assortment of robots littered the roadways and factories, except now they were all coated in black and turquoise armor, which was still damaged but looked stronger than before, in addition to being loaded with all sorts of firearms. The machines moved with simple programming but they seemed to have an empty look in their eyes, as if they weren't truly active. The moon that parted through the pollution clouds shined down upon the central factory, whose upper structure cut through the pollution clouds and revealed the starry night sky.

This upper level was coated in shadows, but was mainly an open chamber with many robots standing around the interior. Within it were two thrones at the sides, which overlooked a massive balcony that overlooked the rest of Industry City, the thick smog surprisingly less thick from a high altitude. It was almost time for the plan to be unleashed, with Ragnarok having not shown itself for two weeks and Eggman dead they would not see the attack coming.

The two thrones housed the two brown cloaked figures, though one of them was revealed to be Metal. The other was completely masked however, and nothing could be seen of the second figure save for one white lock like shape drooping from under the hood, which the figure moved back into the hood shortly. The two looked out before the unknown being held his hand out, revealing a gray glove with a large gold cuff and green lines moving across it.

For a moment the world was still, and then surprisingly light turquoise strands of what looked like data computer codes raced along his arm, made of of zeros and ones. They collected and culminated in the palm of the cloaked figure's hand, becoming a loose sphere of data.

"Is it time?" Metal asked.

"Yes, it is," the figure said, his slightly warped, but very, very light. "What will we do when the robots activate?"

"We will simply observe, at least for now. No need to reveal ourselves so early, especially when Industry City hasn't been fully fortified yet," Metal requested. "Go ahead, activate the plan."

The figure made no reply, instead holding his hand into the air before releasing the sphere into streams of data that flowed in all directions, disappearing over the balcony and flowing down into the different factories and roadways below. They multiplied as they flew through the air, splitting again and again until a hail of data streams fell from the heavens, inserting themselves into the head of every robot they touched. In that instant all of their eyes turned to a bold red before they flew off, now having a much more deadly purpose.

In the factories all over the city, hundreds of assemblies of all sorts of deadly robots activated, their looming red eyes glaring at the unfamiliar world around them as they all suddenly knew their objectives. The machines were suddenly flying away from Empire City with their jet packs, the swarm heading through the pollution clouds while other robots orbited the city protectively, the will to kill in their cold red eyes.

"And now the chaos that will lead to our hearts begins," Metal cackled. The other figure did not say a word, slowly lowering his arm before staring at his forces flying over the horizon. It wouldn't be much longer now for him. His miserable existence would change forever.

* * *

**Location: Tails' Workshop**

The heroes sat around in the new living room of their workshop, relaxing with the small break they received now that Eggman was gone and Ragnarok was not appearing. The United Federation offered the heroes a great amount of money for finally defeating Eggman, and they instead merely asked for GUN to repair the entire place and improve it a little. The result was a longer workshop that went a little more out onto the cliff, but now had a massive hangar bay and the workshop portion built into it. The living room and kitchen area was now much bigger, and the second floor not only had the windmill controls but also had many bedrooms.

Sonic sat in the living room, watching a fighting tournament on television while lazily flipping the blue Chaos Core in his hand. The heroes now had the red, blue, and gray Chaos Cores, and they could only assume that Ragnarok had the other two, of which they only saw the purple one. Now that Ragnarok was inactive for so long Team Chaotix chose to resume their detective duties, and Team Dark had to go back to their GUN duties, which left the famous trio of heroes, Gemini, Alice, Tain, Luxi, Amy, and Cream at the workshop.

"I wonder what these things are even for," Sonic muttered to himself, Knuckles turning towards him as the commercials for the fighting tournament turned, all of them unsurprisingly featuring a Rose Casino sponsor, since the fighting tournament was being sponsored by them.

"What do you mean?" Knuckles asked. "There's no way of knowing. They obviously didn't belong to my ancestors."

"But it's clear they're related, just feel that energy," Sonic replied. "Anyhow, if the Chaos Emeralds all together can create miracles, then what would happen if all of the Chaos Cores came together? Do the Chaos Cores have a Master Emerald like object with them? There are so many questions, and so few answers."

"I can ask Chaos when he comes back to the emerald," Knuckles shrugged. "I mean, Tikal won't say a word about it. I don't think she knows that much about it compared to Chaos anyhow. He's been gone for so long."

"He's probably, you know, doing some divine business. Let the dude do his thing," Sonic said, catching the Chaos Core before tossing it through the air towards the passing Tails, who caught it. "Did you find anything else out?"

"No, I didn't," Tails responded. "But I know that if Eggman could power up all of those Solstice Cannons with just one Chaos Core then their power could be real serious when harnessed the right way. Also, I just realized something."

"What, buddy?" Sonic asked.

"When Metal left, he didn't show up to attack you on the Solstice Armada and GUN did not find him in the wreckage, which means he's still alive," Tails concluded. "He's one person that needs to die."

"Don't worry Tails. He may be alive and stronger but when he comes to try and kill me again I'll just knock him back down and take him out," Sonic said. "And unlike Eggman I won't have trouble doing it because he's just a machine. He has no heart!"

And just as the heroes said that, a massive flash and ripple of energy appeared outside of the workshop, washing over Sonic. The blue hedgehog could barely feel the familiarity in it but he became incredibly alarmed, thinking that it could be Ragnarok. Sonic rushed outside, a fist raised as he launched towards the swirling flash. The other heroes save for Gemini, Tain, and Alice raced outside as Sonic laid on the floor, panting as three heroes stood in the middle of the platform in front of the workshop, a teal barrier surrounding them.

"I can't believe it..." Tails said, looking in shock.

"Oh my god, you're back!" Cram squealed in excitement.

The heroes from out of this time and space were back. A silver hedgehog, lavender cat, and brown raccoon stood below the portal which closed up behind them. A green barrier surrounded the three as Silver spun around to look at Sonic, who finally got up and realized who he tried to attack.

"Whoa, whoa, Silver! Blaze! Marine!" Sonic exclaimed. "How did you?"

"It was simple, really. Blaze figured if I used Chaos Control to warp us back along with the earth's rotation to the exact same second at this very spot then we would be able to come back in time right to where you live. After all, you should be happy to know they actually did preserve your base in the future to honor you," Silver said, dropping the barrier and walking up to Sonic, the teal markings all over his body dimly glowing.

"Did you just drop in for a visit?" Knuckles asked. "Because we could use some help."

"Looks like we came back just in time," Blaze said. "Look, when me and Marine decided to permanently move to Silver's world now that we fully explored our world and new rulers were ready to take over, we came to a future that was not so pretty."

"Wait, what happened though? What was so wrong with it?" Amy wondered.

"It was weird...it didn't look the same at all...and for some reason we were being hunted down. I don't even know. Matter in fact, the what happened looks really hazy all of sudden in my head. All I know is that we have to stop it!" Marine shouted suddenly, startling the heroes slightly. But that's what Marine does to you.

"Well, you're always welcome here," Sonic replied. "And who knows, maybe this is a hint to what Ragnarok or whoever else is planning out there. Plus, wasn't I right Blaze?"

"Right about what?" the pyrokinetic questioned.

"That we would see each other again," Sonic said, giving her the thumbs up. "Not even fate could keep us away from each other for so long."

Blaze smiled slightly at the hedgehog to show her appreciation-she wasn't one to show her emotions well so Sonic knew the great lengths she meant by that. But the moment was quickly broken by Gemini opening the door, giving a slight acknowledgment of the new help before looking at Sonic.

"You should really see what's happening here," the Rose hedgehog said, "The news is telling me that there's been a sudden attack on Megalone."

"So, it's probably Ragnarok. We'll just go in there and bust heads!" Sonic said, pumping his fist into the air.

"It's not that simple, dummy. You should really see this," Gemini warned again, motioning for them to come inside.

Sonic stared at the television for a few moments before racing into the workshop and hopping into the Aeolus, tapping his foot impatiently as the fearful glance came upon his face as well. This fight would be very interesting.

* * *

**Location: Megalone**

The scene was quite intense. The MeteoTech Factory building stretched up to the skies, the highest clouds even circling around it. The company had much influence over the city was responsible for the security, along with their having the most advanced technologies in the world and largest compute network. However, the brilliant technological metropolis was not looking well at the moment as the Aeolus swooped over the high buildings, racing towards the center of the city where the MeteoTech building was.

Thousands upon thousands of robots swarmed the city, destroying everything in their path as they raced towards the sky scraping building. All of the robots shared the navy blue armor, cold red eyes, and powerful weapons, but other than that they looked completely different from one another, as if they were just other robots that were merely reprogrammed and altered. A few other types of robots were mixed in as well, sharing the same bold red eyes.

The massive structure was a war zone as hundreds of Megalone robots attempted to fight back, zooming all through the air and unleashing waves of rapid firepower to fend them off. But in the end the MeteoTech robots were fighting a losing battle, finding themselves pushed back into the building as the mindless robots advanced on the central area.

"Oh boy," Sonic muttered. "This will be interesting."

The Aeolus rushed through a group of robots who completely ignored them, not aware that they planned to interfere in the taking of MeteoTech. The airship landed on a balcony with red tunnels connecting from it to the interior of the massive structure, and landed without any trouble. The group of Sonic, Tails, Silver, and Blaze went inside while the others took care of the ranks of robots outside trying to work their way in, dashing their way through the dark tunnel.

When they came out a group of robots unleashed a hail of gunfire upon them, as they must have stepped past a certain boundary. The silver hedgehog immediately called up a 360 degree Psycho Barrier around the group as the projectiles simply bounced off. Silver then dropped the barrier before kicking off from the tunnel, showing the improvements in his powers by unleashing a barrage of swirling teal ribbons that cut through many bullets and impacted against the robots, covering them in the teal glow of Silver's psychic powers. By the time Silver dropped through the air all of the robots attacking him were at his mercy, and he quickly expelled his arm out to toss the robots to the ground and crush them like flies.

"Wow, he's more stubborn than I am!" Sonic said, mildly impressed. "But try to beat this!"

The blue hedgehog hedgehog suddenly raced behind Silver and smashed one robot in the face, breaking it effortlessly with supersonic speed. The cerulean anthro then curled into a ball and bounced off of a few robots before landing and unleashing a Sonic Wind, the powerful attack shredding a few more of the robots. A larger one suddenly landed behind him and unleashed a powerful and seemingly unavoidable barrage of chain gun bullets from a gargantuan gun but the blue hedgehog faded into an afterimage before he zipped behind the robot and took a trick from Shadow's book, slamming his palm into the back of the robot before unleashing a Sonic Wind through its body.

"Like that one?" Sonic asked, grinning cockily.

"Your ego is something else," Silver said, facing back to back with him as more robots began to attack them, realizing the threat they posed. "But I wouldn't be too concerned about that at the moment!"

But as the robots began to attack, Blaze leaped down, flames whirling around her spinning form as she expelled numerous fireballs while dancing on the heads of the robots, destroying them. As she landed on the ground in the middle of a group of robots they turned to attack her, but it was already too late. The flaming cat unleashed a torrent of flames along her foot as she kicked back with great force, causing the robot to go flying. She then spun around and slashed a Fire Claw across another robot before leaping into the air and bringing her heel down on the large robot behind it, effectively chopping off its head.

A group of robots began to fire on her from above, but just as the shots would hit her Tails was in the front, destroying every bullet with very small Energy Streams before aiming them as the robots and destroying them. The heroes then came together as more robots looked at them, while others passed on.

"It's still weird, they won't really put all their force into us, as if the programming is incomplete or there's something more important to worry about," Tails said, thinking to himself. "I wonder what it is?"

But then they realized it. MeteoTech robots fell left and right as the hostile robots began to tear at a massive door within the structure leading towards the more interior parts of the building. The heroes looked in horror as the door began to fall apart in certain areas, allowing a few robots to squeeze their way through. Sonic quickly and without warning shot through the robots in a blue streak, knocking a few away before he sneaked through the door himself and shot into a few robots, destroying them while the others heroes forced to catch up.

The blue hedgehog raced along a factory railway before jumping off and onto a factory bridge. A few more robots landed in Sonic's way, but he simply destroyed all of them with a Sliding Kick as he passed by to aid the highly outnumbered MeteoTech robots. The blue blur then raced along another pathways before leaping off and bouncing off of a few robots before landing in a green corridor that overlooked the lower part of the factory. Sonic raced along its translucent surface before smashing into a few more robots with a series of Homing Attacks before landing and smashing his fist into the last. A few more robots approached but the blue hedgehog simply used a series of Sonic Winds to fight them off.

The daring hero shot forward in a streak of azure and vaulted over the main part of the factory below before crashing through a window and into another room, which was circular and large and ended high above the area. A small control console sat in the middle while the computer's core above it stretched upwards to the ceiling of the room and provided the network that fueled the entire city's plethora of robots. Sonic walked up to the computer, which was locked before Silver, and Blaze, and Tails jumped through the roof, panting at how fast they moved.

"I can't believe it, you're actually faster now," Silver whined.

"It actually took us so much energy to catch up. You do get things done fast," Blaze added.

"Join the club," Tails muttered. "Believe it or not, flight does not solve everything."

"I'm guessing this is the core of MeteoTech and all of Megalone," Sonic stated. "It just looks important."

"Well it was heavily guarded before the robots came and it is in the very center of the building so I'm assuming that's why," Tails replied smartly, walking past the hedgehog and up to the computer.

But at that moment a presence washed over the room and Tails suddenly activated his Energy Cannon only to have a mechanical fist to wrap itself around the fox's wrist, effectively stopping him. Tails was blown away again by the identity of the robot. The Gizoids were supposed to have been eliminated long ago due to the Argus Event and the last Gizoid Experiment going wrong, but one stood in front of Tails.

However, while this one did share the golden, brown, and beige armor, dark brown plating, blue opal, and cyan eyes along with a pronged plate as its head, it did not have the turquoise charged wide blade that the other Gizoids shared and it had a much more anthro like form. It's energy presence could be picked up by Sonic from a mile away-it really was Emerl, the Gizoid that almost destroyed the world not once but twice.

"I thought you died, Emerl!" Tails said. "How are you here?"

"It's a long story, but I do have to give my thanks to Xi," Emerl replied, "He has given me something only Sonic has before."

"That's great, Emerl, now help us protect this core," Sonic said, suddenly tense as Tails tried to pull away.

However, Emerl refused to let go. As Tails pulled the Gizoid tossed his effortlessly across the room, watching without any reaction as the fox impacted with the wall and slouched to the floor in the shock from the blow. The other heroes moved into fighting position as Sonic stepped forward, staring down his former pupil.

"What are you doing, Emerl?" Sonic asked. "Tails is on our side!"

"I'm sorry Sonic, but I know now of my origins and I told you, I now have something that only you could have given me before," Emerl said, clutching his fist before staring up at Sonic as white energy poured out of his body. "A purpose!"

The Gizoid started the battle by racing forward and kicking off of the ground, ready to snap his leg out for Sonic's head. The blue hedgehog ducked under it before moving to punch the Nocturnus creation, but Emerl simply dropped to the ground before blocking the punch with one of his own. Sonic unleashed a powerful gale of blue in the form of a Sonic Wind but Emerl simply swerved to the side before the blue opal in his head flashed. Sonic quickly punched Emerl across the face but the robot quickly rolled to his feet before unleashing a gale of metallic gray winds that mirrored Sonic's.

The Sonic Wind tore into Sonic before tossing him at a wall, the hedgehog's body forming a web of cracks as he impacted it. Emerl launched towards Sonic, his speed much greater due to his Copy, but before he could hit him Blaze was suddenly in the way, sending a Fireball at the Gizoid who repelled it with a Sonic Wind. The cat rushed at him but in that instant the Gizoid's opal flashed before he unleashed a Sonic Wind and Fireball at the same time, combining them into a powerful attack which raced at the cat.

Blaze found herself protected as Silver leaped in front of her, creating another Psycho Barrier which barely survived the combination of techniques. The white hedgehog unleashed another blast of teal ribbons known as the Psycho Fragment in return, and while Emerl tried to Copy that technique too it just overtook him before Silver tossed him into the ground, the robot more damaged as he got up.

"There's something unusual about you...your abilities are not of this time at all and so therefore my ability does not work on it," Emerl stated before getting back up. "No matter, I will still completely my goal. We will take MeteoTech!"

"Who are you working for? Because this definitely isn't Ragnarok's doing," Sonic said, suddenly ready to fight once again.

"The fight is over, and I will not reveal anything to you, I'm sorry," Emerl said before using a Chaos Control to open a portal behind him. "The robots are coming, and this is just the beginning."

And with that Emerl was gone. But then a shaking could be heard-the robots were coming. And there were far too many for Sonic and the other heroes to face alone. As the building seemed to shake the heroes raced out of the room, sneaked past the obstacles, and onto the Aeolus. And as all of the heroes flew away, a red glow began to stream along the networks that marked the entire city-the mysterious robots had won.

And it was just the beginning.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: Man, this chapter was getting long! A lot happens, I knew, but this chapter is only eight chapters, so a lot will be happening in each chapter. Metal and Emerl are back along with a new character in the fray in addition to our futuristic heroes-bad things must be afoot. Please review and hang tight for the rest of this arc, which will have the best twists in just a chapter or two!


	23. Corruption Shell

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 23: Corruption Shell

**Location: Aquatic Capital**

The Aeolus slowly cruised over the water filled district that was the smaller east side of Megalone as the ominous red glow of the machines' infection spread over the glowing, formerly blue network of the city's machinery. Robots littered the area below and caused excessive destruction, the people cowering in the buildings below. The waterways, twisting tubes, and large water filled orbs barely stopped the robots as they took over the city block by block, their eyes having the same red glow. Though the Aquatic Capital was barely associated politically with Megalone anymore save for technicalities lately, especially due to the fact the city was not over land, it barely had time to enjoy its new independence.

"So let me get this right," Silver said. "That thing over there was formerly Sonic's friend and pupil, and was a Nocturne robot that helped to create the Argus Event."

"But if it could remember Sonic, then why did it act like that and attack us?" Blaze asked. "It said something about a new purpose, but its a Nocturne robot. The whole idea is illogical."

"Emerl has something like a heart, I guess," Sonic replied. "And he's pretty emotional, too. Whoever he's following must have really convinced him that whatever he's doing is right. And whoever that is has stayed pretty hidden."

"They have to be a using a virus though. I mean, there's no other way you could take over a whole city's machinery so quickly like that," Tails added.

"But Emerl wasn't affected by any virus, the Nocturnus probably made him too strong for that and his eyes were still blue," Sonic said, "Why is he doing this?"

"You have to stop focusing on Emerl, Sonic," Blaze said harshly. "He may be important to you, but as of now he is the enemy, and we may have to destroy him. Plus, he sounded like there was more of him, so we have much bigger problems."

"But-" Sonic began to say.

"Chick's got a point," Gemini nodded, flipping his coin. "There is no point in chasing something that doesn't want anything to do with you. You'll just end up dead."

"You wouldn't know," Sonic accused. "You can barely remember a thing from when you joined Ragnarok to now. And before then, you were a pompous tycoon anyway!"

"I don't understand why you would say that. We're talking about you and that robot right now, aren't we?" Gemini sneered.

"Based on this, I'm gonna taking a guess and reckon you two don't exactly see eye to eye," Marine exclaimed, sitting on the top of Blaze's seat.

"You're don't know the half of it," Alice groaned, rolling her eyes.

But then all of a sudden the Aeolus shook. A massive burst of compact flames smashed into the side of the plane, which was then aided by a hail of gunfire. The Aeolus spun through the air once before colliding with a row of giant aquatic spheres with exploded on contact, which sent the aircraft skidding across the ground. Tails barely managed to stop it before it fell off a massive water filled highway and to the lower parts of the city below, the heroes climbing out as rain cascaded down from above.

"Looks like your robot friend didn't want us leaving his dangerous grasp so soon, huh?" Gemini hissed, glaring at the blue hedgehog who said nothing in return.

The heroes inspected the ship for damage while the fox put his Energy Cannon up to one of the coded lines of the corruption from the virus. The fox waited a few moments as the dark rain clouds fully covered the city, the water already in the district rising even more. The Energy Cannon made a clicking noise before the fox inspected the data, the other heroes looking on closely.

"That's weird," Tails said. "Though this data clearly shows that the corruption is spreading through the data, it's not using any of the district's computer functions, such as controlling the water or putting up the Trans Roofs to keep the larger areas dry."

"Are you trying to say that something is stopping the virus here?" Luxi questioned, popping another gummy bear into her mouth.

"Exactly," Tails nodded. "There must be another core in here that the Aquatic Capital has in case of emergencies, and once the MeteoTech core was corrupted this one switched on so now the virus has to have the robots find it."

"It makes sense," Tain shrugged. "That explains why the virus isn't just using the robots or computers here. Otherwise the MeteoTech robots would be under their control out here too. If they managed to get all of it we'd be done for, too."

"So we should go find it so Tails can whip up some anti-virus or something," Sonic concluded. "It'll help GUN out when they arrive, anyway. It's not like we could take all of them out ourselves. I'll take Marine, Amy, and Gemini. Blaze, Tain, and Alice can guard the plane while the rest of you help Tails find the core and upload the anti-virus."

And so with that the heroes set out. However, as Knuckles' group began to move out, only a block away from the plane, a black armored figure landed in front of them. The heroes moved into fighting position, but as the armored figure relinquished her helmet Knuckles easily recognized her.

"Shade!" Knuckles exclaimed, the two embracing each other warmly. The female echidna had almost completely disappeared after they came from the Twilight Cage as she tried to find her way in the new world, but she now stood in front of her former comrades with a warm smile on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Just trying to find my way in the world," Shade said. "I've searched high and low, but I don't think I want to be a hero and nothing else seems to fit. But I'll figure something out. As of now though, I'm gonna help you guys. Something about this all seems familiar to me and you guys could use the aid."

"Did you see the MeteoTech attack?" Luxi asked, giving her a gummy bear. The echidna was confused by it at first, but when Luxi ate one she popped one in her mouth as well.

"Yes, I tried to fight them off by myself, but when the MeteoTech robots turned against me I made great haste with my Warp Belt. But they still somehow followed me and...wow this food material is amazing!" Shade exclaimed, taking another one from Luxi's bag. "What are they called?"

"They're gummy bears, silly!" Luxi said, giving her a bag. "Here, just take this one. They're very good, just don't eat too many. They're pretty sweet!"

Knuckles then explained the situation to Shade. The echidna was confused at first, but then when the Gizoids were mentioned a sense of fear washed across her face and her muzzle became very pale-she knew all too well of what they could do.

"If the Last Gizoid you call 'Emerl' is here, then whoever brought it back must have done the same with the other Gizoids," Shade said. "I don't know how they could've brought Emerl back, but they did, and something must have brought Emerl to their side. This is not good at all. I'll help you guys find the core before this gets too out of hand. Hopefully your military will able to fight them off eventually with our help."

The group of five heroes moved forward down the highway with the water above their shins just as a group of navy painted robots of all sizes began firing down upon them. Shade quickly took the lead, tossing a Stasis Grenade to paralyze a few before actually tossing a Leech Blade through the head of one. The echidna leaped behind the robot a grabbed it before kicking off into the air and slicing out with an impressive combo before ending it with a slash that cut across three robots in a massive steak of magenta.

Shade followed up her Blade Rush by waiting for the robots to come at her before tossing her Leech Blade up into the air. The robots fired at Shade in that moment but the echidna leaped above the explosions, grabbed her Leech Blade before stabbing it into the ground and unleashing a ring of energy outwards which destroyed many of the other robots. The echidna turned around and groaned before pulling her Leech Blade from the ground just as a group of corrupted MeteoTech robots wheeled won the hallway towards them with trails of energy guarding them.

But Luxi quickly reacted, summoning a wave of long blades around her before firing all of them at the robots. Most dodged, but a few were able o fight their way through. The tan echidna quickly threw a Stasis Grenade down but they were moving too fast, easily swerving around the explosions. As they approached, their wheeling auras becoming highly destructive Shade quickly tapped her belt, instantly teleporting into the raging waters.

"Follow me, we have to retreat!" Shade called out.

The four heroes nodded and leaped in after her, the raging water carrying them down towards the center of the district as the robots followed through the air, uncurling and flying as they loaded their guns. As the robots began to fire Silver formed a small barrier above the water before the heroes dived under as the barrier relinquished. As the water whirled around obscuring their vision for a moment the echidna pointed a tunnel, the heroes nodding as they drifted towards it.

After a while, the tunnel gave way and the heroes floated to the surface of the water before catching on to a massive platform. Silver panted heavily as he fell back for a moment-hedgehogs were not fans of water and the future hedgehog was surprised he could even swim a little. Using his psychic powers he pulled his teammates up from the water before ripping the water off Blaze's fur-with it on her she would be close to useless.

The five heroes looked forward at the platform they were on, which seemed to be automatically raised when flooding occurred. A network of submerged highways led to imposing, tall bridges that went to the rest of the district and out to Megalone from there, and in the center of all of this a massive sphere of water covered in glass swirled around in a brilliant cyan aura. Tails approached it carefully and held out his Energy Cannon to it before reading the data from the sphere. In that instant a control console rose at Tails' feet, the fox stepping back to let it rise.

"Just as I thought. This place isn't too obvious, but is probably directly in the center of the district. It's a perfect place for the network core," Tails explained. "Now, all I have to do is hook my Energy Cannon up, create the anti-virus, and upload it. It would only take a few minutes!"

"I anticipated the arrival of heroes such as yourselves to stop me, but all you have done is aided me by giving Emerl more power and giving me the true location of the core," a voice said. Suddenly, streams of turquoise data emerged from the red streams covering the stream of the network and slowly materialized into the form of an animaloid completely covered with a torn brown cloak. "Now, all you have to do is leave. This way, no one has to get hurt."

"Don't count on it," Silver said, his teal aura flaring up as he stepped forward. "You're the one behind this!"

"Is it possible for the virus to be a person?" Luxi asked, doubting what she was seeing before her eyes.

"Not really, but the rules of reality have been broken before," Tails said. "Maybe there's something special about this person that makes them also a virus."

"You think I am a virus? That's slightly amusing," the figure scoffed, little codes of data leaping off his body as he landed on the large platform. "No matter, if you plan to step in my way then you will be destroyed, however sad it may be."

"Not a chance!" Silver claimed, holding his hands out in front of his eyes and concentrating through the point where they met. In that instant teal energy concentrated into that small space before expelling itself in the form of a thin beam that sliced the air violently on its way to the target. The Psycho Laser was about to hit the cloaked figure but in that instant he was gone, the attack instead carving through the building on the other side of the platform.

The silver hedgehog questioned where he was, but in that instant all of the heroes spun around to find that the cloaked figure was standing the middle of them, spinning around and unleashing a massive whirl of data streams that tossed all of the heroes back effortlessly. Shade quickly recovered and launched forward with a Leech Blade in each hand, the figure retaliating with just his fists.

The two kicked away from each other as they met, the echidna unleashing a barrage of blows that no normal anthro could avoid. But the cloaked being weaved his way out of each one, moving with superhuman reflexes. As the two circled in their deadly dance Shade suddenly backed up before stabbing forward, but the cloaked figure leaned out of the way before spinning around and unleashing a backhanded fist. The echidna ducked under before swiping out with both Leech Blades, wounding the cloaked figure and knocking him back. But Shade received no chaos energy from the blow, an no blood was drawn, the cloaked figure simply staring up at her before charging again.

_Why?_ Shade wondered, kicking off of the ground before the cloaked figure grabbed her leg as she flew by and slammed her into the ground with great force. The echidna coughed up blood as the platform cracked under her. _Why are none of my attacks having any effect? Why is he so strong? And why..._she thought, managing to kick him away before tossing a Leech Blade at him which was torn apart by streams of data before they even hit the figure_...does he seem so familiar to me!_

"You are much stronger than you used to be," the figure said, streams of data circling his body. "Ix was wrong. The power of friendship and kindness that you have gained has made you quite the reckoning force."

"So my gut feeling was right," Shade muttered before glaring at him. "How do you know me? Who are you?!"

"Someone who desires what he should not have, and is but a mere shell of what he once was," the figure said, his voice still so calm and yet so cold, but still trying to gain a bit of emotion behind it. "I wonder, did you heart give you the will to see what Ix was saying was wrong? Did it give you what they call a gut feeling that led up to the moment of your horror that fateful day on Angel Island, when your former life cracked apart around you?"

"Shut up!" Shade screamed before getting ready to launch forward at the cloaked figure, her aura and violet Leech Blades glowing with the same fierce fuchsia aura. However, Knuckles quickly held her by the shoulder, causing her to calm down quickly.

"Look, we'll take him together," Knuckles assured. "Don't let his game take control of you."

"It's not a game. It is something I would like to know," the cloaked figure said as Knuckles charged up his energy, ready to strike along with his comrades. "No matter, I knew you fools would take what you have for granted."

"Flaming Meteor!" Knuckles shouted, punching into the ground beneath him. Waves of earth shot up into the air before a gigantic mass of rock lifted up. As it fell back down to the earth Knuckles lit up both fists before punching the meteor. A coating of flame covered and bounced off of the rock before it was thrown at the target.

"I do not why you are attempting to stop us," the figure said, holding his hand out to the formidable attack. "We mean no harm to anyone here. We are merely occupying the city."

"You MUST be insane!" Luxi said, summoning two bladed staffs in each hand and rushing at the cloaked figure. It seemed as if it was over for him, as the attack was mere meters from him and coming down a rapid speed.

But then in an instant the figure did the impossible. Streams of data instantly expelled themselves from his body, wrapping around him in a protective layer before expanding out. The strings of zeros and ones carved through the air, appearing as fragmented streams of turquoise before swirling into a helix and impacting with the meteor. In mere seconds the entire attack was ripped to shreds, to the point where only dust and embers fell through the sky. The data codes found themselves forming back into the hooded figure as Knuckles, Shade, Luxi, and Silver looked in shock.

But all the same Luxi charged forward, weapons in hand. Knowing streams of data would attack her she flipped over the attacker as the data streams tore up the city street, lifting concrete into the air. But then, as she landed on the other side more data streams formed into another copy of the attacker before she could even blink and smashed his fist into her. The rabbit cried out as she was thrown back, forming numerous craters. She managed to flip right side up and unleash a Weapon Barrage at the armored being, but instantly the figure was displaced to the right, the blades hitting the ground near him before evaporating. Silver readied himself to prepare a Psycho Laser, but before he could complete the attack the figure was next to him, holding up in the air effortlessly with one hand as he choked him to death, fingers digging into his windpipe.

"That strength and speed...it beats both Sonic and Knuckles!" Shade said, teleporting behind him only to be swatted away like a fly before teleporting back to safety. "How could we beat him?"

"Surrender now and no one has to die. Don't you see? Not one person has been killed. We are just occupying the city," the figure said.

"Don't believe his lies!" Silver said boldly as he was released by the figure, blood seeping from his mouth as he fell to the ground unceremoniously.

"But how do you know I am lying?" the figure said. "I may be connected to one person you may all loathe, but does that mean I deserve the same loathing?"

"What are you talking about?" Knuckles said, exhausted from the technique.

"My name is Xi," the figure said before tossing his cloak into the winds of the storm. Waves of the turquoise data surrounded all of them before they suddenly binded by more of the data. In the next instant they were moving through space, no longer where they once were as the data overtook their bodies.

Shade fought her way through the data more than the others, pulling out as she gasped for free air, only to stop struggling by the shock of what she saw of the true form of the cloaked being. He wore a turquoise robe with green and light turquoise outlining parts of it in addition to gold around the edges, had light blue eyes, ivory fur, and three shapes which stuck directly upward and resembled dreadlocks as they were bunched together. Turquoise markings littered his body like an infection, covering himself in a unique glow, and streams of data clustered around him.

To the echidna, though he had his differences, she now knew why he knew her, as he could be the twin of her former master, the Nocturnus Imperator Pir'Oth Ix.

"No..." was all Tails said as they were whisked away to an unknown place, leaving only him behind as the Energy Sphere pushed him away from the data streams that flew over the city and carried his friends to the unknown.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: We have now learned a little about our other cloaked figure here, though he still holds many mysteries that will not be revealed for many chapters. Tails now has great news that will change the face of this conflict. Where has Xi taken the heroes to, and where is Emerl and Metal Sonic in the midst of all of this? And what is happening with Sonic? Hang tight for that and the reemergence of Ragnarok in all of this new chaos in the new chapter, Shock Therapy!


	24. Shock Therapy

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 24: Shock Therapy

**Location: Unknown**

The throned figure sat within the dark room, the light of dawn shining through the windows from above and revealing certain parts of the room. He looked off in the distance, not even giving any acknowledgment to the two agents that walked into the room and bowed before him. The room's structures seemed to be slightly more clear due to the light filtering down, which revealed the every surface seemed to be a pure ivory with black around it. To the sides of the room, massive, elegant twisting pillars of ivory rose up on each side to the throne, and white light seemed to filer up from the floor, as if there was a great force from below it.

"I have very important tasks for the two of you, as great things are about to happen," the throned figure said. "Xi and Metal are looking for something they cannot have, and they will shake the universe to obtain. I can see their plan already, and it has to be stopped, even if they do not realize it."

"What do you want us to do, Master?" Pain asked, surprisingly humble in his Master's presence.

"Us? This is a solo mission for you, Pain," the Lord of Ragnarok said. "Do not think your crimes have escaped you. Refuu needed to have his memory wiped and to be kicked out of Ragnarok. You did NOT have to kill him, and you did not have the right."

"I'm...sorry, Master," Pain said slowly, knowing his next words could be very important.

"Apologies mean nothing," the Lord of Ragnarok replied. "You had no right to take the life of a comrade and so this will be your chance to redeem yourself. Hunt down the blue one's robotic clone, and annihilate him. And until you do, don't return."

"Y-yes, Master," was all Pain could say before walking through a portal in front of him, knowing that he was walking a tight line. All that did was leave Leo and his Master in the room, the lion waiting patiently for his Master's instructions.

But that did not have to wait much longer. In an instant a hand was on his shoulder as the Master stood in front of him, his massive aura choking out Leo's energy as he felt the Master's presence...and could only compare it to a God's. Leo rose to his feet in front of the Master as he mentally opened a vortex behind them, shimmering in black and white. The lion was completely taken aback by this development, but knew that the Master meant him no harm.

"You will accompany me on a special mission," the Lord of Ragnarok ordered, disappearing through the portal. "Come with me."

The lion quickly nodded and leaped through the portal, vanishing with his Master to an unknown location. Little did he know that what would be revealed there would change the face of their conflict forever.

* * *

**Location: Aquatic Capital**

Sonic kicked away from the Gizoid as another came at him from the side smacking a Sonic Wind against his side. The blue hedgehog was tossed back, but recovered in time unleash a Sonic Tornado, sweeping in three of the Gizoids and shredding them to pieces before tossing them in all directions. Gemini then followed up by unleashing a Dark Cannon which destroyed the robots in bursts of dark flames. A few more came at Gemini, their fists suddenly a light with dark energy, but Gemini suddenly split in two before spinning the other around and having him kick out to destroy the enemies.

"And that's how its done," Gemini boasted.

As the two merged together again a Gizoid launched down from above, but suddenly Marine was there, unleashing a barrage of green energy blasts which had a surprising amount of force and tossed the Gizoid into the water where the energy burned through it. Two more tried to approach her, but in that instant Amy jumped in front of Marine and swung around and destroyed them both before they could hit her with their wide blades, followed by whisking another Gizoid away with a Hammer Tornado. The group of four them came together, revealing the remains of the Gizoid squadron that attacked them.

"Well, looks like your little friend really did have some buddies of his own, too," Gemini said. "And they were a lot less friendly."

"They were just like the ones we fought in the Twilight Cage," Sonic replied, purposefully avoiding the subject of Emerl. "Just how did they come back, anyway? It's not like the Twilight Cage was opened or else the Nocturnus would also be here."

"Good point, mate," Marine nodded. "They were real Gizoids though. They copied our techniques like no one's business!"

"At least Tails is gonna save the Aquatic Capital," Amy said.

At that moment Tails ran up to them, his eyes full of terror. The Aeolus flew behind Tails as well with Tain, Blaze, and Alice in it, ready to pick them up. The heroes questioned why he would do such a thing, but then a massive swarm of MeteoTech robots headed towards them, and it was clear that they were from Aquatic Capital as they had blue spheres imprinted on their heads. The heroes jumped in quickly and shot off into the sky where the MeteoTech robots couldn't fly to meet them before the fox took the controls from Tain.

"I can't believe it...I really can't believe it...it has to be a joke," Tails muttered to himself, quickly starting up all of the manual controls as he flew over the ocean and towards the Mystic Ruins.

"Whoa, Tails! What's up with the rush?" Sonic asked.

"Better question is, where's your friends?" Tain said. "I thought a whole bunch of them went with the fox."

"There was a man," Tails explained. "And he attacked us directly from the corruption, like he WAS the virus. We tried to stop him, but he was too strong, and then he took all of the rest of them. And he looked just like Ix, but he called himself Xi."

"But Ix can't be back! The Twilight Cage was never opened!" Amy countered. "We all would've felt the dimensional rip."

"Exactly, but this isn't Ix. They're definitely related, but they're not the same person," Tails said. "And the Aeolus has been getting reports that Megalone isn't the only city. Most major cities with central computer networks are being attacked right now, and as the robots get infected they attack other cities. Megalone is just the beginning."

"But why would they just conquer networks like this?" Sonic asked. "There's gotta be a purpose behind it all. It can't just be that simple. They know eventually the heroes and GUN will be able to fight them off."

"That's why we have to find the source and destroy it before they decide to unleash whatever else they have planned," Blaze stated.

"'But we can't just magically track them," Alice said. "They seemed to come out of nowhere."

"Not true," Tails said. "While the anti-virus did fail, it picked up a lot of information. All we have to do is find out the history of which robots were infected first, then work our back to where they started. It'll take a lot of time and it may cause even more cities to be lost, especially after what Eggman did, but I'll be able to find out where they're coming from."

The Aeolus cruised over the ocean, masking itself in the rain clouds above as they abandoned the dimly crimson glowing city of corruption behind them.

* * *

**Location: Central City**

A black and white vortex opened up, revealing the dark green komodo. Pain simply brushed himself off as the portal closed behind him, dead st on his goal unlike last time. His did lose a Chaos Core to the blue one barely stood a chance against his new form, and now in addition to killing his own useless partner Refuu the Master was now on the verge of killing him. He couldn't joke around, as failure would mean that he would die, and he lived to survive, to kill again.

The city was up in flames as the machines caused immense destruction at the capital. People ran about in the streets as the navy plated machines ran around. GUN tried to destroy as many of the machines as they could, but their own sentries opposed them, red glinting in their eyes as Xi's corruption had already reached them. A few tried to attack the komodo, but a few punches later and all of them fell to the ground around him, the Ragnarok agent attempting to feel out the energies of his target among the fake ones of the Gizoids.

"Come on...he's gotta be just like that blue hedgehog...and I'll definitely remember what his signature is like!" Pain said, concentrating. And then the trace picked up for him like a beacon, as none of the other robots had signatures even close to such power. "There we go...that's what I'm talking about!"

And with that the komodo leaped off of the ground and onto a roof before racing across it and leaping onto another, dashing across the city. The fires got even worse as the mechs destroyed all of GUN in their way, not even leaving one soldier alive. And though GUN had the superior firepower they were seriously outnumbered, and it showed as the massive walkers fought helplessly against swarms of hundreds of robots. The komodo zipped past it all, destroying anything that dared to stop him as his pursued the rogue Eggman robot.

Eventually Pain saw Neo Metal Sonic far ahead of him, his brown cape fluttering in the wind as he zipped from rooftop to rooftop, destroying all of GUN as he passed with lightning fast strikes. The komodo moved to cut him off from the side, hoping to fell him with one blow, but once he realized the Ne Metal Sonic wasn't speeding away after already feeling the lizard's presence he knew the battle was on.

"Ragnarok, huh? I have always wanted to test myself in combat against one of you," Metal said before spinning around to block Pain's powerful punch which shook the air around the two with its force. "Impressive already."

"I'm not here for your amusement," Pain hissed before releasing his fist and pushing away from the robotic hedgehog, who pushed off as well to the opposite ends of a small skyscraper's roof, "I'm here for your death!"

"I knew your Master would send one of you after me once he realized what my plan was," Metal laughed. "I'm going to have fun with his one, but only if I could truly feel that emotions..."

"Enough with this heart nonsense, fight!" Pain shouted frustratingly before rushing at the robotic hedgehog.

Metal simply stared him down as he approached, a great amount of energy whirling around his fist. The robotic hedgehog simply activated his Thunder Barrier and expanded it, hoping that it was repel the komodo's attack. Instead the fist crashed through the barrier in a whirl of force before the lizard charged at the hedgehog and unleashed a barrage of rapid kicks before slamming full force into the robot. In the instant the attack met the navy mech flew off of the roof and through the air as he slammed through the side of another skyscraper.

Glass flew through the air as Metal smashed through a row of office cubicles, papers flying into the air as he finally came to a halt, a light protective coating of electricity protecting him from the major damage. Pain was suddenly in the massive opening he created, charging at the kneeling Metal and leaping into the air to unleash a final stomp. The anthro mimicking robot suddenly rolled to the right, leaped off the ground to avoid the shock wave, and then suddenly rolled into a ball before unleashing a powerful drop kick.

"Not so fast!" Pain shouted in glee before grabbing Metal's leg as it came down and tossing him through the wall.

Smoke and dust rose up into the air as Metal fell fifty stories to what should have been his death. But as the last second Metal remembered his useful ability as his jet engine flared to life, allowing him to swoop safely onto another roof. The robotic hedgehog rolled again as Pain kicked the ground where he once stood, sending concrete flying back up into the air. Metal dodged the flying concrete before Pain rushed to meet him, unleashing multiple close quarters blows that had great force but Metal still almost impossibly dodged all of them.

"Your strength may be far greater than mine, but you have only hit me a few times as of yet," Metal sneered. "It's impossible for you to win at this rate."

"Shut up! You haven't hit me either," Pain grinned sadistically, "and I have a few good blows already. I'm just getting started!"

"Good, because I was just testing your abilities," Metal said before zipping behind Pain in an instant like lightning, electricity surrounding his claw.

The komodo swung around just in time to block the attack off of his arm, but blood still spilled as the electricity ripped up his arm. The komodo grimaced for a moment before swinging around with a powerful kick, but Metal simply ducked under it before smacking him with a few electrically charged punches in chest, sending him staggering back as the electricity shocked him. Pain quickly recovered to avoid a powerful claw swing that left electricity lingering behind in the air before unleashing roundhouse kick with all of his might, smashing Metal into the air before tossing him back into the roof, forming a large crater.

"Seems like we're evenly matched," Metal said, unleashing a break dance series of kicks much like Sonic's to force the komodo back for a moment. "Ragnarok does have powerful agents, though none of the others are like you."

"What do you mean by that, huh?" Pain questioned. "I'm probably a hell of a lot stronger than those other punks!"

"Most of the others preach about their ridiculous ideals and how what they are doing is right, but you have said none of the sort and seem actually eager to kill me, and not just for your mission," Metal elaborated.

"So? So what if I'm not so absorbed as them? All I know is that what they're involved in is war, and they seem to be victorious, and so I'm just there for the bloodshed, nothing else, just like I've always been!" Pain growled.

"There is a reason why you were sent here today," Metal said, his body suddenly dancing with electricity as large amounts of it concentrated into his claw. "You could not hide something like that from a master like yours. You have used your gift of a heart for a purpose not worth the will and so you are weak. Your master sent you here today because he knew you would die by my hands."

"Shut up!" Pain roared, huge amounts of force wrapping itself around his fist before he charged at Metal. "I will not die! Gigaton Death!"

The hedgehog released his Volt Strike, moving at such speeds that began to almost merge with his attack, but in that instant Pain's technique hit. A massive explosion burst through several skyscrapers, one's top layers even falling off before a massive explosion embedded itself in the ruins of the building. Metal's sparked and dented body managed to pull itself out of the wreckage before he slammed his claw into a nearby power box, using the surge to heal himself enough to unleash his final attack.

"The reason you're going to lose this fight is because it's not the number of attacks landed or the strongest attack. It all comes down to the most lethal," Metal said, charging up his attack as Pain flew towards him with another attack ready.

Th lizard was sure his attack would hit again and deflect the Volt Strike, but this time the hedgehog was gone along with his attack as Pain landed, his attack blowing a part of the roof away but destroying nothing. In that instant as his feet hit the ground a sudden pain shook his body and Metal's electrically charged and bloody claw was impaled through his heart, sticking fully out on the other side as his arm stayed with the komodo's body.

"Game over," Metal said, ripping his arm out of Pain's body before kicking it away, sending it plummeting to the chaotic city below.

The robotic hedgehog looked at it fall for a moment without emotion before beginning to concentrate for a Chaos Control, only to feel another presence. He turned around to find Aersus standing there, his cloak flapping in the wind as his gargantuan swords were unsheathed and in each hand. The robotic hedgehog stared at him for a moment before summoning arcs of electricity around his body and into his claw, prepared to unleash yet another Volt Strike if necessary.

"I can take another one of you if you so desire," Metal said. "I won't go down without a fight."

"I am not here for you. The Master wanted to make sure that Pain would die, and honestly, I thought he would beat you with that final attack," Aersus said, his gaze solemn as he sheathed his blades. "But he does not want to get involved in this, as he believes that your plans will not impact his in any way in the long run."

"I wouldn't believe you as a challenge anyway," Metal said. "You look preoccupied, and you haven't really preached about your crazy ideals either."

"Well, now that everyone I've cared about is dead or has betrayed me, you find little to truly believe in," Aersus chuckled sadly. "I'm not like you with your robotic and unbreakable drive."

"Maybe I will understand the sorrows that also come with having a heart one day," Metal hoped. "But for now, I have to depart. The next time we meet, maybe we will be enemies, or maybe we will not."

"Guess none of us can control anything, really, just as the universe actually manipulating us," Aersus said, and then he leaped over the edge to retrieve Pain's body. The robot looked at him and pondered on his words for a moment before whisking himself away in the cyan glow of a Chaos Control, leaving the city to fall in pure chaos.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so there is the not so sad fall of Pain! Next chapter things really kick off as our heroes find the origin of this all and try to stop Metal and Xi's plans, however cryptic they may be. What is Xi's real identity? What is Metal doing all of this for? What does Aersus mean? Will the heroes be able to stop Metal and Xi in time and save their friends, too? That'll all come in the next chapter, so please drop a review and hang tight for that!


	25. Industrial Invasion

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 25: Industrial Invasion

**Location: Tails' Workshop**

"Hurry up, Tails! I don't think we can hold this up much longer," Sonic exclaimed.

"The computer has almost found their base, just give it a bit more time!" Tails replied.

Sonic, Tain, and Blaze found themselves in the center of the platform in front of the workshop, a group of Gizoids waiting there and studying them with a squad of the navy plated robots backing them up, many of them being modified MeteoTech robots and GUN sentries. Inside, Gemini, Tails, Alice, Marine, and Amy watched as Tails' computer backtracked the signal of the first few robots that attacked MeteoTech in his map program, moving over all sorts of landscapes. The workshop shook as Sonic's body smashed into the side, blue winds circling the Gizoid's wide blade that attacked him.

"Give me a break!" Sonic groaned, falling to the ground before ducking to the side as a Gizoid's fist smashed into the wall. "How could someone create so many of these crazy strong robots?!"

"Someone who was hell bent on destruction," Blaze answered before tossing her leg out and spinning around to knock a Gizoid through the air in a burst of fiery flames.

As they fell through the air Tain's arm magically formed into a Tattoo Gun which he fired at the falling Gizoid, destroying it. But another Gizoid's opal suddenly flashed before its arm turned into a Tattoo Gun as well, firing off an impressive barrage of bullets which Tain deflected with his own. But at that moment the other mechs fired their guns, which Tain responded to by forming another Tattoo Gun and using both to deflect the gunfire. At that moment a Gizoid's fist suddenly lit on fire as it launched at Tain from the backside, determined to take him out in one hit.

But Blaze moved in between them and unleashed her Fire Arts technique, unleashing a circling barrage of kicks that sent out arcs and waves of scorching fire that destroyed three of the Gizoids around her. Tain then relinquished one of his Tattoo Guns and tossed one of his short swords through the air, impaling the Gizoid in the head before he used his Tattoo Gun to destroy the mechs firing at him. A Gizoid rushed at Tain with their wide blade, but Sonic suddenly jumped in the way and smacked the Gizoid off the platform with a break dancing kick before curling into a Spin Dash and barreling through two more.

"It's nice to see that you two can keep up with me!" Tain grinned.

"Someone's a bit overconfident," Sonic responded. "You needed our help to get out of that sticky situation, after all!"

"Tell Tails he has to move faster," Blaze pleaded. "It's good to know we can all act tough but you know that we're all running out of energy."

"It's ready," Tails announced as the runway opened and the Aeolus emerged from the workshop with the heroes in it. "I know where the base is, but this won't be easy and could be very tricky."

"Sonic, let's provide the distraction!" Blaze offered.

The cerulean hedgehog nodded as he held his hand out in front of him, creating a massive cyan sphere of whirling blue winds, blades of wind rotating around it. The blue blur held the powerful Sonic Storm over his head before holding it out to his side where Blaze suddenly launched a Fireball at it. The flaming blast dispersed as it touched the attack and then the flames began to merge with the blades of wind, moving outwards from the blue sphere in the center of it all. The blue hedgehog slammed the Blazing Storm into the ground, sending bursts of wind and flame in all directions that destroyed all of the mechs and blew the Gizoids away from the platform.

"Let's move!" Sonic said, the heroes racing away from the multi-elemental explosion before they jumped into the Aeolus. By the time the Gizoids recovered the Aeolus was already speeding away over the ocean, to finally confront the source of the great corruption.

* * *

**Location: Industry City**

The Aeolus landed within the smog, lightning streaking through the thick mist of pollution as the heroes landed in the middle of the ruined forest. The trees were yellow and had no fruit or leaves, and the ground was a sickly pale color. Through the great mist in front of them massive factories rose out of the ground, mostly concealed by the smog's shadows. The heroes slowly got out of the Aeolus with clear gas masks on as it was the only way for anything organic to live in such an environment before the Aeolus flew off into the smog, as they did not want to be caught in such a place.

The thin red glow that spread along the machineries of the city stuck out among the smog, illuminating the entire area in an eerie glow that signaled the dangers that lied ahead. Through the smog the heroes could see the swarms of mechs that moved throughout the streets and the air, looking for any intruders through the labyrinth of factories, pipes, and old machinery. The heroes walked slowly through the poisonous forest, broken garbage and machinery littering the ground of the forest as they finally moved over a mound of garbage and to the city ahead which seemed to stretch even to the horizons.

"That's horrible!" Amy said.

The former metropolis was now just a shell of what it once was. At a certain point it was a great city, but once the industrial projects of the city got out of hand it slowly became a garbage dump for the world that was so disgusting that in time no organism could live there. And as such, machines were the only things left in the city, tirelessly performing their now useless functions until Xi corrupted them. The eerie red glow spread over the city's machinery and the robots now seemed to have a much more deadly purpose, searching through the smog for anything that could destroy their master's plan.

"This is gonna be interesting," Sonic said. "There's eight of us against all of them and we're going to be easily noticeable."

"Are you really suggesting we split up again?" Tain moaned. "I mean, every time we've done something so far!"

"If we all stay together though, we'll get noticed so easily. I mean, look at all of the mechs around here, and I bet the Gizoids and Emerl are just making themselves less obvious," Amy added.

"True, but we would be a lot stronger if we stuck together. We're going to face a lot up ahead and it would be best if we could combined our strength for it, you know?" Tain argued. "Even I'll admit I wouldn't been dead back there without Blaze and Sonic."

"Yeah, cause I don't plan to get ambushed with only two or so people by my side," Gemini snorted. "I need more people to do the work for me."

"Actually, the fox is right," Alice said. "Besides, with eight of us the groups would be big enough. You guys can just split up and find your way to the source in different ways so that if one group gets caught the other still has a chance."

"Well, I'll take you, Blaze, and Marine while Sonic can take Tails, Amy, and Tain. That works out for everyone involved, right?" Gemini said. "Cause I'm tired of sitting here while crazy virus guy takes down every network in the whole world and makes his insane robot army that much bigger. You know, this means he has my Casino City network too, and I really can't afford to deal with that."

"Crikey, you sure do WHINE a lot," Marine snickered, earning herself a glare from the Rose hedgehog.

The two groups nodded to each other before they slid down the mountains of garbage and to the broken streets below. The two groups ran down the street when the mechs turned their backs as they head off into Industry City, to save the world from forces that they could barely comprehend.

* * *

Emerl the Gizoid stood atop a large metal chimney that rose up into the sky, smoke rising into the smog behind him as a new gray and blue cape was attached to his back, signifying his completely new alliance. The Gizoid looked down upon the mechs patrolling below, and felt something akin to true happiness-the plan was going flawless already, especially now that the heroes had found their way to their base. But at that moment a massive presence rushed through the air, however the Gizoid paid no mind to it, or at least he pretended that he didn't.

"I wondered when Ragnarok would get their evil hands in this," Emerl said, suddenly leaping off of the chimney as one of Aersus' blades smashed it to pieces in a burst of pressure and responding with a Fireball which destroyed what left of it and engulfed Aersus in scorching flames. "I just didn't think they would have only one agent take care of it all."

"Ragnarok isn't here to stop you. Besides, we're pretty sure your plans will fail," Aersus said, using a burst of pressure in all directions to knock away most of the flames before landing on the roof of a long factory.

"You have no way of knowing that. You claim your Master knows our plan but there is no way of him knowing that," Emerl said, landing on another pipe. "Anyhow, you're especially confident for one who has lost everything and is up against an army of robots. At a moment's notice they can swarm you and you'll be finished."

"I suppose you're right, but I could just warp away. And besides, the Lord of Ragnarok isn't just great because of his title...after all, he is a God. And not just in the sense of his power," Aersus said, pleasured at the terror on Emerl's face. "He knew what you planned to do before you even did it. He knows Xi is going to fail. He knows Ragnarok is going to succeed. He can already see your helpless demise, even when you can't. This ruthless demeanor you put up-it means nothing. You haven't changed."

"Shut up!" Emerl screamed, suddenly unleashing a crescent of fire at the jackal, who just leaped to another platform only for Emerl to unleash a burst of a pressure. Aersus held out his sword and strengthened it with a coating of kinetic energy which the pressure rolled off of. "You shouldn't talk. You act cool but Xi's been studying your heart the most...you might as well be tearing yourself apart on the inside. I have so much on me now that you cannot understand. Unless Xi and Metal succeed, me coming back to life will all be for nothing."

"None of that matters, all I'm here for is you, to test the potential of the Gizoid for the upcoming war," Aersus snarled before racing forward with both swords at the draw and bolts of pressure around it. Emerl launched up towards him with a Sonic Wind and the resulting clash of powers sent a massive shock wave out in all directions which blew out all of the windows of the factories within a block in every direction.

The battle was on.

* * *

"Let us out of here!" Luxi demanded, smashing a massive blade against the barrier of data only to get repelled back to the other end of their confined prison.

"I'm afraid we cannot do that now, not until the time is right," Xi said, data circling his body while Metal leaned against the wall, glaring at the Knuckles, Shade, Luxi, and Silver. "Otherwise you would just get in our way and we do need you to lead the other heroes here."

"They will stop you!" Silver called out, "They won't fall for any trap of yours!"

"It is not a trap," Xi said, attempting to truly smile but still faltering. "I merely require that they witness what I plan to do...so they can see the greatness of my vision, and you will too. I plan to become more than a body and soul...at any cost."

Metal simply said nothing, leaping out of the central factory and onto the roof, staring out through the smog to the sky shining above. Their plans were so close to fruition, every thing he has done in the past few years has been for this.

* * *

Gemini, Blaze, Alice, and Marine walked down a narrow speedway in the city, condensation forming on the clear surface of their translucent gas masks. The Rose hedgehog noticed this and wiped some of it off of his gas mask quickly before putting in back on. The pollution fog seemed to condense even more around the streets, the piercing red lights striking through the darkness it created as the group sneaked through one of the main roadways, sticking to the side and moving their way through the pipes.

"This place is just disgusting!" Amy whined. "It's so sticky and it smells!"

"Well, that's what most garbage dumps smell like Ames," Gemini said. "Except a hundred times over. You better be lucky you're wearing that gas mask or you might die of the smell."

"Did you just realize that you called her Ames, which is what Sonic calls her?" Alice smirked, causing Gemini to freeze on the spot. "He's really rubbing off on you, isn't he?"

"Please! My mind was wandering, and besides, no one like that so called glorified, scum of a hero scum would rub off on me," Gemini spat back. "Who do you think I am?"

"Whatever you say, Gemini. After all, you did say it," Amy giggled, causing the rosy and ebony hedgehog to fume in embarrassment.

"Guys, I can sense a few presences around here," Marine warned, holding up both of her palms and summoning green blasts of energy. "And none are friendly!"

"What are they?" Alice asked. "Can we know what we're up against?"

"There's a Ragnarok signature near us, full of rage. I think it's...a coyote?" Marine deduced.

"Aersus," Gemini said under his breath, hoping with everything he had that they did not run into the jackal in his current state.

"Then there's that Gizoid, Emerl, and that Eggman's robot that looks like Sonic," Marine continued. "Wait! There's another Gizoid, over there!"

As the raccoon pointed out the Gizoid from among the pipes, glaring at them with its red, corrupted eyes, the robot suddenly held its hand out to them as it turned into a large chain gun which it held with its other hand before firing. The maroon hedgehog repelled the first few shots with a Dark Cannon but found it to be mostly ineffective and leaped off the pipe after his comrades as the bullets ripped through everything. The group of four landed on a higher pipe but the Gizoid was already there, switching its arms back to normal and smashing Gemini in the stomach with a powerful kick before shooting off a Dark Cannon after him.

The maroon furred anthro split in two to avoid the battle before fusing both copies back together, tumbling across the broken roadway. As he got back up a blaring alarm sounded, the red glow becoming even brighter. The mechs patrolling the city around them suddenly focused on the heroes as they helped Gemini up, ready to unleash their firepower. The Gizoid also landed behind the group with a massive blue mech assimilated into him, with the Gizoid's body at the center.

"I got this!" Marine called to her teammates.

The raccoon suddenly jumped into the battle against the odds. He destroyed many of the mechs with blasts of green energy as she showed what she learned from her master Blaze, cartwheeling, flipping, and spinning in all directions to avoid the waves of gunfire that came down around them. The raccoon then sent a wave of green at the massive assimilating Gizoid, but the Gizoid raised its massive navy cannon and eliminate the wave of green with a few Dark Cannon shots before sending a hail of chain gun fire at the heroes.

"That mystical energy is outdated by thousands of years. It would have been powerful in the time of my creation but with my modern assimilation it is useless," the Gizoid said in a robotic tone. "It is a wonder people can still somehow inherit it."

"Mystical energy? I never knew that," Marine said idiotically, the heroes slapping their faces and groaning. "Nice to know what I'm actually using for now on!"

The heroes leaped out of the way of the chain gun bursts, but Gemini instead charged forward ahead on them before summoning his other body. The two Geminis weaved in and out of each other to avoid the chain gun shots and confused the enemy before they launched directly at the face of the Gizoid. Another Dark Cannon attack was sent at the face of the wealthy anthro but he quickly performed a dodge by having own body vault the other over the attack before having the other body merge into the vaulted body.

The Gizoid was completely vulnerable as he slowly turned around to meet the hedgehogs as they merged, black energy rushing and circling around him. Gemini's body was suddenly alight with black energy as a massive flaming ebony aura surrounded him. In an instant he disappeared underneath the energy as he launched off the ground at breakneck speeds like a missile of black energy. The Gizoid's body burst apart in waves of radiating black energy that shot out from the impact, Gemini landing on the other side as his Dark Comet destroyed even the remains of the assimilating Gizoid.

"And that's how it's done," Gemini boasted.

But the heroes were not done yet. As more mechs landed around them and more mechs filled the air the heroes raced forward, knowing if they just continued fighting they would never make it to stop Xi's plan. But on the roof of a factory far away, a massive mech unleashed a wave rockets, carpet bombing the roadway as the mechs that could fly spared themselves, firing bursts of gunfire into the great cloud of smoke as the heroes' fate was obscured.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so there's the beginning of the conflicts that are to come in the race against time to find Xi and stop his plan in Industry City. Next chapter we'll deal with Sonic's group and Emerl's true purpose for joining Xi, as well as hyping up the great two parter that will conclude this story arc and deal with Xi and Metal's plan unfolding and what it will mean for the rest of the story, including the massive revelations of the halfway chapter, 30. Be sure to review every chapter, especially if you haven't reviewed some to let me know what you think, and hang tight for the things that will happen next.


	26. More than Machine

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 26: More than Machine

Sonic, Tails, Blaze, and Tain walked down another roadway across the city, moving their way through the streets on the way to the main factory. They did not take their approach as Gemini did, robot parts falling in their wake as the heroes destroyed robots at every turn. The blue hedgehog smirked slightly as he destroyed the robots, but Amy noticed his attitude was not in full swing as it usually was-something was bothering him, and she had a good feeling what it was about. A large machine fell in front of the group but Sonic's body flickered into an afterimage before a massive spheric burst of azure destruction known as the Sonic Storm tore it apart in instants, the pieces falling to the ground.

The group then marched on, not walking but not exactly running either, as they had to preserve energy. The mist seemed to thin slightly as they moved forward, revealing more factories and workings of pipes, along with the main factory looming overhead, it's upper levels disappearing through the clouds. More robots came at the heroes, but this time Blaze came to the rescue, unleashing a Fireball from each hand which destroyed the rest in the radius of their explosions. A wide flying mech shot at the heroes but Tails unleashed an Energy Sphere just in time, the remains of the robot flying around the group.

"I really don't think this is a good tactic," Blaze argued. "We should stay hidden. We're going to use up too much energy and if Xi could kidnap Knuckles, Luxi, Silver, and Shade with ease then we're going to need as much energy as we can get."

"I'm prepared," Tails said, pulling out a few multicolored Chaos Drives. "I bought a lot of these from the GUN with the rest of the ransom money we got from killing Eggman. One or two of these could completely fill your energy in no time. I think it heals you a bit, too!"

"That was good thinking, kid," Tain said, rubbing his head. "I like that. If it wasn't for the fact you're one of those...hero types and all, you would make an awesome mercenary."

"Technically, you're a hero now too anyway. You are working towards the better good, with heroes, and without official bounties or pay silly," Blaze chuckled, causing the wolf's cheeks to turn red.

"Say what you will. Maybe I'll make you guys pay me eventually, so don't give me any ideas," Tain retorted. "So blue kid, wanna tell us why you're so down?"

"I-I'm not down at all!" Sonic denied hopelessly. "I'm still up to my hero business, doing my thing!"

"Please, your ego would be much worse if you were really in the mood," Tain scoffed. "It's about that Emerl kid."

"I don't know, it's just that I really trusted him. I don't even know how he came back, but he's definitely not being controlled in any way and he seems normal...save for the stuff he's helping this Xi do," Sonic said, dropping his joyous demeanor. "I just want to know why...I want to know what happened so I can help him."

"I have no doubt you can help him, Sonic," Blaze stated. "You helped Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Chaos, Shadow, me, Marine, Shahra, Chip, Merlina, and now Ray. You have a power that's not just your speeds and the wind it makes, you have the power to understand and help people. You're already helped Emerl once, you can do it again. I believe you can."

"Thanks Blaze," Sonic smiled. "I really needed that. All I know is that I'm not leaving him here. When I settle this with Xi, I'm settling things with Emerl too. Anyhow Tails, you got a plan?"

"I do actually," Tails smiled, excited to show his creation. The fox pressed a button before orange codes of data began wrapping around the barrel rapidly, forming a miniature cyclone. "I gave my new Energy Cannon a data mode which converts my energy into the data codes for the anti virus and puts it into an Energy Arrow technique. If I can get a good hit on Xi-the physical body of this whole virus, I can kill the whole corruption with one blow and stop his plan. You'll have to give me an opening, which will be hard by itself because these shots take a real long time to charge and he can guard against it otherwise, but if you do then we're good."

"I gotta say, that's real good. With four of us working to distract him and Tails having another anti virus ready, there's no way we can fail this time," Blaze nodded. "We'll have to see how Xi plans to use our friends he took, but otherwise it sounds good."

"In a way, it sounds too good though," Tain said, thinking deeply. "This Xi is a real, breathing virus, who set up a massive army in seconds, took over half of the cities of the world, and set up this insane labyrinth which is the last place GUN would look. Honestly, I don't think someone who did all of that would be ready to lose to a few heroes who want to get their friends back."

"We'll just take this slowly," Tails said. "We've handled much worse. Yes, he has our friends, but he has no reason to kill them yet since his machines have only been looking to take over networks. I just wonder how much longer he'll stick to that."

The group continued to walk on through the roadway, ducking into a group of pipes at Blaze's suggestion. The heroes walked on it before emerging at the top of a very small factory that laid in the middle of an intersection, a group of factories being connected by the intersection. The heroes climbed out at the top of it as Blaze quickly snapped the head of a mech patrolling at the top before hiding in the shadows.

But as they waited, Sonic was suddenly on alert. There were mechs all around, including a few Gizoids who should have sensed their presence, but none of them even paid attention to them. Either Xi decided to let them come to him without a fight, or another threat was coming to take them on alone. In that instant the blue hedgehog had his comrades leap down to another pipe on the roof of the factory, and with good reason. The Gizoid's blue cape flowed out behind him as his arm change into an Energy Cannon and fired a large Energy Sphere down at the pipe, smashing it to pieces as the fragments fell back down to earth.

"An Energy Sphere? When did a Gizoid get to copy that from me?" Tails asked.

"They could only do that back at MeteoTech," Sonic deduced. "Which means its not just an ordinary Gizoid!"

As the heroes jumped down onto the actual steel roof, their footsteps clanging against the surface the smoking barrel of the beige Energy Cannon formed back into a robotic black hand which led to a gold arm. Emerl looked at Sonic with his sapphire eyes, a white aura of energy surrounding him. Sonic and Blaze quickly stepped forward, their own auras flaring as the fighters stared each other down. The other heroes quickly got at the ready in the back, prepared to back up the two if necessary. Emerl hid his emotions as kinetic force rippled around him, adding to the energy present.

"Kinetic energy...so you had to fight that jackal that attacked us in Empire City one month ago!" Tails realized. "He's in the city?"

"You the Ragnarok agent? Well, yes. He wasn't much of a challenge, but then again he was trying to test me, treating me a mere puppet," Emerl hissed.

"Why, Emerl? Why are you doing this?" Sonic pleaded. "You don't have to become Xi's pawn!"

"I am not a pawn of Xi...he is all I have left," Emerl said, a depressed feeling washing over his voice. "I know what I was...one of the Nocturnus. I was created for destruction, and so I have to serve my purpose by following what is left of the Nocturnus in this dimension."

"So Xi is a Nocturnus?" Sonic asked. "That would explain at least slightly why he looks like Ix."

"No...Xi looks like an Ix for an entirely different reason. He is not one of the Nocturnus," Emerl stated. "But that doesn't matter. I have been charged to destroy you and now that I know what I truly am, not just a weapon of destruction but an extension of the will of the Nocturnus, I have to follow it."

"But when you thought you were a weapon of destruction you didn't follow that! You had your own decisions, and you followed them," Sonic countered. "You still do!"

"But this is different. Though it will be hard to let go of everything that I've learned from you guys, I have a noble purpose. I've assimilated enough abilities that I hope to be a challenge for Ix, and then I can help lead and free my people since I would be the only one alive who is old enough to know the intentions of the Nocturnus from before the Argus Event. I don't know what Xi plans to do, but he was able to rip me from Nocturne and save me so his plan can only help me," Emerl explained.

"What happened to you?" was all Sonic had to say, small tears appearing in the corners of his eyes.

"En garde!" Emerl shouted, suddenly rushing forward at supersonic speeds.

The blue hedgehog was too shocked at the moment, and Blaze saw that, pushing him to the side and holding out her palm before unleashing a massive Fireball. The Gizoid quickly reacted by punching his fist out, unleashing a massive burst of a pressure which suffocated the flames instantly, and continued his charge, launching down at Blaze in a shell of pressure. The cat cartwheeled and pushed off into the air to narrowly avoid the descending Emerl who smashed through the roof. Blaze quickly panted and tried to follow the rising heat of Emerl as he maneuvered along the ceiling pipes below.

In an instant Emerl burst through the roof behind Blaze, clapping his hands together before unleashing a powerful flamethrower. The cat simply smirked as the flames washed over her body-it was like a soothing coating of warmth to her. But as the flames released smoke the cat realized it was a distraction, but by the time she could do anything Emerl zipped in front of her in a blue streak, dropping to the ground before smashing a high kick into the center of Blaze's chest. The cat was sent sailing up into the air before falling back and crashing into the side of a massive sewage pipe on the side of the factory.

The cat was drenched in sewage, the flames around her body weak from the liquid around her. The cat tried to wipe herself off before leaping back across to the roof until she saw the drop back below to them to the street, and though she had seen worse it was enough that she couldn't jump across immediately. Emerl leaped onto his feet, staring down Sonic as he finished charging up a violent Sonic Storm in his right hand's grasp.

"You really think you're going to be able to take on Ix anyhow? I couldn't take him on by myself without Super Sonic!" Sonic reasoned. "Yes, Xi did save you from getting killed in the Twilight Cage, as I bet the reception for being the reason Argus sucked Nocturne into the Twilight Cage was not met well by Ix, but you don't owe him anything. He can't convince you of any fate. Isn't that what I taught you?"

"It wasn't just Xi, Sonic!" Emerl shouted. "That girl, Umbra...that Nocturnus scientist was told to bring me back to life to help break back into Earth, but she broke me out, took me to that Nocturnus hermit Nestor, and the two made me so happy...they taught me how to be my own person, and with the protection of the Kron I felt just as I did when I was with you, if not better because I could pretend that now that I knew who I was there would be no conflict."

"Looks like those other tribes are still free from Nocturne," Sonic said. "But it doesn't end there."

"No, it doesn't," Emerl continued. "Ix was mad at Umbra, Nestor, and me, and he decided that he would take some Gizoids and take the fight to me even through the Kron to vent his rage for you defeating him. He was alive and well. He made me watch while he killed Umbra, and though Nestor fought he wasn't nearly on the same level. Then Ix wiped all of my powers that I copied when I tried to fight him myself, and he was about to kill me when he showed up."

"Xi," Sonic hissed.

"He grabbed me and somehow separated even the dimensional barrier with some weird contraption he had and took me with him," Emerl concluded. "He left me to fend for myself and then let me come back to him after he met with that blue robot that looks like you."

"Metal Sonic's with Xi?" Amy questioned.

"No way!" Tails shouted; no one could believe it. "That's what he's been up to! But what could he gain by all of this?"

"I don't know what Metal Sonic or Xi wants!" Emerl shouted before launching at Sonic. "I just know what I need to do in the memories of Umbra and Nestor!"

The Gizoid's opal flashed before he held out his hand, silky white winds forming into a violent sphere of rotating energy while wind like blades surrounded it. The two summoned upon their speed and zipped at each other, the two Sonic Storms colliding against each other as blue and gray winds blasted outwards in all directions. The two shot past each other before spinning around, th Gizoid attempting to kick him only for the blue hedgehog to block. The blue hedgehog suddenly switched up his grasp to throw the Gizoid over him but Emerl held out his hand and unleashed another burst of pressure, shooting blue hedgehog into the roof.

"I'm not going to stop until I knock some sense into you!" Sonic vowed, stepping out of the corner before spinning into a ball and launching at the Gizoid who simply sidestepped his attack and sent a Fireball at the spinning form only Sonic to arc around it. "You're not just a machine with a purpose, you're so much more than that."

"You don't understand! I owe this to Umbra, and if that meas I have to fall into darkness to make it back into the Twilight Cage to avenge her, then that's what I have to do," Emerl yelled, holding out his Energy Cannon as it unleashed a powerful Energy Bolt that knocked Sonic out of his ball form and tossed him across the ground. "I am doing what I need to do, to serve the Nocturnus."

"But is that what you want to do?" Sonic asked, kicking off of the ground and shooting at Emerl, smashing him in the fact with a powerful fist at supersonic speeds. The Gizoid staggered back as Sonic leaped behind him and grabbed his cape, spinning him around before the cape ripped from his back and tossed him through the side of a pipe sticking up from the roof, the entire pipe falling on top of him. "Is that what you really want?"

"Do you know what I want, huh?" Emerl responded, emerging from the roof, white energy spiraling around him. "I want to look away from all of these horrors that make up my past and never look back. I want to pretend that everything will be okay and that I can live in peace with Umbra and Nestor, here, away from our enemies in the Twilight Cage."

"So, why can't you?" Sonic said, reeling back before zooming around the pipe Emerl was on, forming a massive azure tornado. "You can leave this place and never look back. I don't know about Umbra and Nestor, but you don't owe the Nocturnus anything. I'm sure Umbra would want you to leave them, after all she did take you to Nestor, away from them, right?"

"But I can't just leave the Nocturnus behind," Emerl said, unleashing a blast of pressurized energy before unleashing a powerful jet of flames. The jet of flames unleashed a powerful explosion as it made contact with the pressurized energy, the explosion tearing apart the blue tornado as Sonic flew up into the air, the Gizoid rushing to meet him by levitating. "I can't just leave them to Ix."

The two reeled back their fists as they collided in the air, unleashing a massive ring of energy. The Gizoid tried to unleash his other fist, but Sonic grabbed that and pushed it off to the side. The two let go of each other before unleashing a barrage of blows as they fell back down to the earth before pushing off from each other with two Sonic Winds. The flames and blue winds died down as the two fighters stared each other down, panting from the intense fighting they participated in Blaze finally gained the courage to pull herself back onto the roof, but she was drenched with sewage-she couldn't help Sonic now.

"Think about it, Emerl," Sonic said. "If people like Umbra and Nestor could see the light, then so could the rest of the Nocturnus. Ix may be reigning still for now, but eventually, if you three could rebel, then so could the others. No one has to decide your fate, I learned that a long time ago."

"You...you're right Sonic," Emerl said. "Thank you. Umbra would want me to move on and I have to live in her memory."

"Exactly dude, just come with us," Sonic smiled, holding out his hand as the fighters ceased their tension. "Once we're done we can leave this place and never look back. You can start over."

"I wish...I wish that could be true," Emerl said, a tear impossibly dropping from his robotic eye. "Thank you Sonic, Nestor, and Umbra. I'm going to set things right now."

"Wait!" Sonic shouted.

But it was too late. In that instant the Gizoid spread out his arms, uttering the words that Sonic had known too well. The ripples of the Chaos Control were powerful enough to tear through the fog and the roof the factory, everything captured in it floating in the air around the Gizoid. Emerl then tightened his fists as the world around them began to warp, hurtling the heroes through space while the torn debris spun around the robot as he launched directly through the warp of time, heading for Xi, ready to annihilate him with all of the chaos energy he could muster that shot through the ripples of space, and as the attack emerged from the ripple protecting Emerl and launched at Xi he could see victory nearing.

"Nice try kid, but we were ready for this," Metal said.

Then Emerl's sacrifice was all in vain. Electricity rippled through Metal's claw as it impaled his body in a Volt Strike, the two suddenly thrust back into the real world as the electricity completely ripped through Emerl's systems, smashing his programming to shreds and destroying his chaos servers. As the ancient machine was ripped off of Metal's claw, falling to the ground as Knuckles and Shade cried out to him and the light faded from his mechanical sapphire eyes.

The robot was not paying any attention to the main factory however, instead staring up as he became very light, his back platings breaking as massive flaming angel wings emerged from them and the feelings of the real world vanished from his body. The Gizoid felt a soul, a_ heart_ beating as he looked up into the glistening golden clouds, and finally saw Nestor and Umbra staring at him, angel wings emerging from their backs as well.

_You did a great job, Emerl.

* * *

_

"Whoa!" Gemini shouted, his group suddenly falling from a ripple above them.

The hedgehog quickly puked as the other heroes looked on sickeningly, while Amy looked up to the massive Central Factory in front of them that penetrated the fog. Above them the sky took on an eerie turquoise shade, but for what reason Amy did not know as of yet. They had faced so many Gizoids and other mechs of all sizes and kinds, but for some reason in the heat of battle they were whisked away to the central roadway in front of the massive factory.

"I can feel Sonic; his signature is suddenly nearby," Amy reported. "I think this is it. Xi must be inside."

"If they're here then we'll find them inside, no need to wait! Captain Marine says we voyage on!" Marine called out, much to the other's dismay.

"Yeah, yeah, we're going," Alice muttered, the group of four rushing forward as they ascended the pipes that led to the main structure, ready to face the obstacles that laid ahead.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: The two parter that concludes this arc is up next. Now we know that Xi's plan is on the horizon with Emerl's death and that he really did come from the Twilight Cage. But why does he look like Ix, and what does all of this have to do with Metal and gaining hearts? All of the answers will be revealed in the next two chapters, so review and hang tight for all of that!


	27. Until Twilight Part One

**Origin of Chaos**

Chapter 27: Until Twilight Part One

**Location: Central Factory**

Sonic, Tails, Blaze, and Tain ascended the massive fortress the was the central factory ahead on them. They moved through the massive pipes that protruded from the massive structure, the upper balcony level disappearing through the pollution clouds and revealing the stormy, strangely turquoise colored sky above it. The heroes climbed past the clouds before they rested on a long balcony before the upper one, blue crackles of lightning shooting from the sky and impacting the fractured ground below the pollution clouds.

"That lightning isn't normal, and even with much pollution the true color of the sky wouldn't change," Tails frowned. "That can't be good."

"Is this a part of Xi's plan?" Sonic asked.

"I'm betting it is," Tails responded. "I'm pretty sure the sky wasn't like this as we approached Industry City in the Aeolus."

"Then we need to get moving," Sonic said, getting up and tensing up despite his heavy panting and exhaustion. "We don't have the time to wait around."

"Give us a minute, Sonic. I'm almost dried off," Blaze requested tiredly.

"You sure are excited to get at Xi, aren't you?" Tain smirked. "He's not going anywhere, hopefully."

"Don't jinx it!" Sonic said playfully. "And don't worry, for what him and Metal did to Emerl, I'm going to wipe both of their asses so badly they'll be beaten to a pulp. And since both aren't really organic, I have no qualms about killing them after."

"Yeah, it's really sad that Emerl sacrificed himself in vain. He did get us very close past the main part of the army on guard, but he was shot down before he could change his life," Tails said. "I remembered when me, you, and him went on adventures. It's sad to see those days are over, for real this time."

"He won't die in vain, though," Sonic vowed, clenching his fist as Blaze finally wiped the last of the gunk off of her and a small aura of fire outlined her body. "Now Xi really has to worry. He's made this personal."

"Wait, guys!" Tails said. "My Energy Cannon is connected to the trackers, and Gemini's group is right below us!"

True to what he said, the heroes looked over the balcony to find the other group of four ascending the pipes at great speed. Gemini looked up and sneered in a his usual stuck up fashion before his group finally reached the very same balcony, landing in front of their allies. Wounds covered the bodies of all four of them like blankets, suggesting they had more trouble with numbers since they didn't have an enemy like Emerl who liked to be personal with his fights.

"Somehow, we were warped right by the Central Factory, and it looks like you guys were, too," Gemini stated. "So, did you guys run into Sonic's little friend? How many ways can I rub this in his face?"

"How about none? Emerl sacrificed his life trying to undo his wrongs by being the one who teleported all of us here before trying to kill Xi. It didn't work, because Metal was fast enough to get into the space ripple and impale him before the attack could hit," Sonic stated. "So this looks to be the second time you've lost a bet in you whole life. It hurts, doesn't it?"

"Well, I gotta admit that you were right," Gemini sighed. "The fault's on me. I just kind of used to be a Ragnarok agent, so trust is, you know, a little hard to find."

"It's cool, but I bet it hurts you to be so caring. Looks like that cold, dick of a guy we all know is nothing but a masquerade," Sonic sneered, the Rose hedgehog simply rolling his eyes at the blue anthro's immaturity.

"Guys, look, the blue lightning's getting stronger," Amy said. "We should really get moving."

The heroes nodded and quickly ascended up the structure though the use of the pipes that seemed to even reach the top of the structure while filling each other in on what happened on their different paths through the city. The heroes shot through the pollution clouds with ease before finally touching down on the highest balcony level of the Central Factory, which was impressive in itself. The light from the starry turquoise sky revealed the elegant, twisting structures of metal throughout the room, as well as the two thrones in the middle towards the back of the room. The captured heroes looked up at them as they entered the room, while Xi stepped off of his throne to the left-Metal was mysteriously missing.

"Sonic!" Knuckles called out.

"Thank god you came here when you did. You don't have much time before Xi's plan starts," Silver exclaimed.

"We found out so much! Xi is just like-" Shade shouted.

"We know, we know, and Metal Sonic's working with him too," Sonic said in return. "Amy, Alice, Marine, go get them out and heal them. The rest of us will take care of this poser."

"Poser? What a simple term," Xi chuckled, date streams surrounding him as he levitated slightly above the ground. "Do you honestly think you stand a chance? The fox has to rely on technology, and the rest of you are tired form fighting my army. Meanwhile, I am at full power, stronger than before as all but two of my targeted cities have been corrupted now, and I took out all four of your friends with minimal effort before. Even with one extra ally who can actually fight as of this moment, the odds are calculated in my favor."

"You can take those calculations and shove it back in your mouth," Gemini spat. "You really don't stand a chance."

"For what you did to Emerl, I'm going to annihilate every fabric of your programming," Sonic threatened before turning back Tails and whispering in his ear. "Do you have the Virus Arrow ready?"

"Yeah, I can charge one up every few minutes, so let's just hope I don't miss or this may get complicated," Tails whispered back. "Just give me a good opening and I'll end this."

"I am more than just programming. I am something that technically should not exist but yet still violates every rule of the universe," Xi countered. "If I still exist, then I must have a purpose for still existing and I must do what I can to fulfill my existence."

"Shut up already!" Sonic growled, launching at him in an instant with a Sonic Storm instantly charged in his hand. "Your existence is about to end shortly anyway!"

Xi said nothing, raising his hand as a massive wall of data swirled up in front of him. Sonic narrowed his eyes, completely focused on the battle as his drive increased his power. The blue hedgehog vanished in an instant, leaving behind multiple afterimages that were torn to shreds in instants by streams of data. Xi said nothing as Sonic suddenly ran along the ceiling before launching down at him in a zip of azure. The Ix lookalike still said nothing, looking up at Sonic almost as if he was bored before kicking off of the ground and spinning rapidly as the Sonic Storm impacted the ground and unleashed powerful blasts of cyclonic blue wind behind him.

"You are powerful, but this is rather dull. You're just venting right now," Xi yawned, springing up into the air as Sonic shot past in a Spin Dash below. The blue hedgehog suddenly launched out of the Spin Dash and swerved around Xi, unleashing a barrage of blows which the anthro virus blocked almost effortlessly. "Maybe I don't understand, but I will soon enough."

"You little shit!" Sonic swore. "You have no idea what you did to him! He was going to change his life around until you had to kill him!"

"Me?" Xi sneered. "I thought Metal was the one who killed him. Too bad, he's a little preoccupied. Maybe you will have to settle for me."

The blue blur backed up before unleashing a Sonic Tornado that tore up the ground. Xi was tossed into the air, but in an instant data streams formed a tornado that swung in reverse, allowing the heartless echidna to land on the ground. But just as he did that Sonic was behind him, unleashing a powerful fist to Xi's stomach that shot him through the side of the tornado and into the side of one of the twisting metal structures. A web of cracks spread out across it before Sonic unleashed a roundhouse kick that smashed Xi through it and then another one before tumbling across the ground.

"That was one hard blow," Xi grunted, flipping back onto his feet. "You know, your drive tends to increase your blows. Is it impossible that the heart can increase your power through your emotions?"

"You better hope it doesn't," Sonic growled, a navy aura beginning to seep off of him.

But then Xi was gone. The blue hedgehog looked around, but then streams of data began to flow behind him. By the time he turned around, an iron grip was locked around his throat before he was lifted up into the air. The blue hedgehog gasped for air but to no avail-Xi wasn't even trying.

"I wish I could understand what it's like to have no air," Xi sighed. "What it's like to be on the verge of death."

"We can arrange that!" Gemini shouted, rushing at Xi with Blaze and Tain right behind him.

The echidna yawned before releasing his grasp and slamming his fist into Sonic's gut. The hedgehog flew up into the air before Xi smashed him in the gut once again with a powerful kick, smashing him into the wall with enough force to shake the balcony. Gemini winced for the blue hedgehog before kicking off of the ground, trying to take him out in one blow with one of his Dark Comets, arcing around before smashing through multiple walls of data that rose up. The virus simply leaped past Gemini as he arced around again and again, coming at him like a living missile of dark energy.

"I'm getting bored," Xi yawned, letting loose large streams of data from his sleeves with sliced up the Dark Comet's energy, causing a defenseless Gemini to fly unprotected at Xi. Though he tried to punch the virus, he simply flipped Gemini over him before a wave of data streams pounded the hedgehog into the ground. "None of you are much of a challenge."

"Don't let your ego convince you!" Blaze warned, spinning around into a Fire Tornado.

Waves of fire surrounded her as the cat spun like a ballet dancer within, completely protected. Xi tried to destroy the attack with a series of data streams, but the cat simply unleashed Fireballs from within the Fire Tornado to destroy them before she uncurled and snapped her leg across Xi's face. As the living virus staggered the royal princess landed and sliced across Xi's chest with a Fire Claw, concentrated flames lighting her hand. The virus jumped back and hissed as scratch marks went down his chest, but no blood escaped from the wounds, instead being outlined by a green glow.

Blaze took the opportunity to shoot a Fireball at the Robotic Army's commander, but he effortlessly destroyed it with more streams of data which then surrounded the area around him, protecting him on all sides. As he lowered his hand Tain suddenly formed a Tattoo Whip in each hand, unleashing as many blows as he could. The first two hit dead on as Xi fell back, but the rest were blocked quickly with streams of data before they tore his attacks to shreds, crept up his arms, and tossed him through another one of the twisting metal pillars.

Tain then got back up on the opposite side of Xi, as the two charged at him. The tattoos on Tain's arm added to the short blade he drew, causing it to elongate and ripple with energy. Blaze formed two Fire Claws before she charged as well, the two ready to tear through as much data as they could before reaching Xi. But they did not get a chance, as Xi grabbed both of them by their wrists, spun around once before using his great strength to effortlessly toss both across the room in the opposite directions, slamming against the walls with great force.

But then Tails saw his opportunity as the streams of data lashed out in all other directions, leaving Xi wide open the fox aimed his shot and fired. The elegant and highly vibrating orange Virus Arrow flew forward, streams of orange data rippling off of it as it almost flowed through the air at the target. The attack was on target and seemed as if it _had_ to it. It couldn't miss.

In that instant Xi's body almost blurred form the speed, snapping the Virus Arrow in two. Tails looked in shock, but not before the angry virus sent a large burst of combined data streams at him, causing the fox to sail over the arena and slammed his head into the balcony railing. As the fox barely managed to stay over the edge, Xi slowly approached him. The fox's eyesight began to blur and blackness crept around the edges. He barely managed to stay awake, but he knew he had to, attempting to charge up another Virus Arrow but to no avail. He would need far much more time then they had.

"Dammit!" Tain cried out, his arm bent at an awkward angle as he finally got up. "How could one person be that strong? He's taken only one or two serious hits and we're all dying here!"

"Hey!" Sonic shouted as Xi loomed over Tails' blood dripping from his mouth as he charged up a Sonic Storm, the energy strangely less cyan and more of a navy. "I'm right here, buddy!"

"That's a shame," Xi said, turning towards Sonic and the other rising heroes as Tails slowly sneaked away from Xi and towards Amy, Alice, and Marine, "because the plan is ready. I have brought you all here to witness the fruit of my labor, Emerl's labor, and Metal's labor, and so here we are. Let me explain to you what I truly am."

At that moment the sky above began to ripple with blue lightning, covering its turquoise surface. Strange blue particles and other lights began to shoot of it, falling all over Industry City below. On the roof of the factory, Neo Metal Sonic looked up at the sky and stretched out his arms, just as the sky's ripples seemed to increase, as if something was opening. For the first time in his life, the robot could finally stop hearing the programming in his head, and its obsession with annihilating his counterpart. He would finally gain a heart.

"Before Ix came back to this dimension so many years ago, he had been working on ways to increase his army's power in preparation for the invasion, including the creations of the Gizoid Centurions and the Gizoid Guardians. But then he began to really research those who came before him, specifically the Precursors," Xi explained. "They had researched the workings of the heart before they came to the Twilight Cage. Matter in fact, that is how they got there. They had learned to control the workings of the heart to make themselves stronger, and then they did so, by harnessing the light and darkness of their hearts."

"Let me guess, Ix tried to do the same to his men. He was also a scientist, after all," Sonic replied.

"Not just to his own men. See, when he saw that it worked on his own men, he tried it on himself," Xi continued, to Sonic's surprise. "But Ix did not truly understand the nature of the darkness, and so he as corrupted by it. He tried to force it back with his magic, but he could not. There was a spell that he entrusted to Shade to use on him when he was fully corrupted, and so she complied."

"Why...why do I not remember any of this then?" Shade wondered.

"Because Ix wiped the specific memories of all that saw what he had became," Xi responded. "He became what the Precursors called a Heartless. Shade used the spell, and it worked, but at a cost. Ix became incomplete, his Body and Soul becoming another, sentient being. His combined powers over magic and technology became split. You noticed how he had almost full power over all magic but little over technology when you fought him? A bit of that magic and most of the control over the technology shaped the heartless, sentient being, causing him to become nothing more than a virus."

"No way..." Amy said, her eyes wide at the realization of the truth.

"That sentient, heartless being is what I am. The Virus Nobody of Pir'Oth Ix, Xi," Xi revealed, to the shock of all of the heroes. "After realizing what I was, I waited until after Ix's attempt to invade this world again failed and stole the Precursor research on the heart and a special Warp Belt prototype and found another person who could help guide me in the unfamiliar real world."

"Emerl..." Sonic hissed.

"Yes, Emerl the Gizoid, the reason for the first Argus Event," Xi said, a faint, almost eerie smile on his face. "Because I technically didn't exist and Emerl had special chaotic properties, we could both violate the temporal and spatial rules of the Twilight Cage and get back into the real world with the Warp Belt but not have to keep it on to stay there. You know Emerl's story from there, I presume."

"How does Metal get involved in all of this?" Blaze questioned.

"We both met in battle after the Doctor failed to use a new obedience chip after Metal rebelled, and that was when we realized we needed each other. From then on, we've been waiting for the Doctor to fall to make the world weak, plotting until then," Xi said. "And now, with the corruption of the entire world's main computer systems, we can fool the great god Argus into believing that we are conquerors, like the Nocturnus. The cage will open up, and Ix will have prepared for an incident like this so he will try to escape. And then...I will become whole again!"

"This is about the times worse than we thought!" Gemini exclaimed. "I was here to deal with Ragnarok, not with all of this!"

"With the power I will gain, after I use my newfound magic to force Ix to submit, I will use the research of the Precursors along with my own power to create hearts for Metal, removing the harnesses of his programming and our robotic army. We can give the great weapons of hearts to the machines who deserve them, and take the hearts away from those like you who have used your hearts for the wrong purposes and so do not deserve them!" Xi laughed. "It will be a utopia!"

"That's insane! How will you be able to make a powerful force like Ix submit?" Shade said. "It's far too dangerous! And how do you know how things like machines will act with hearts? It may be worse than anthros!"

"You're worse than Ragnarok!" Luxi exclaimed. "You're out of your mind! We will stop you!"

"Oh, but you're far too late now," Xi grinned. "The opening of the Twilight Cage, the second Argus Event on Earth, will now begin!"

Sonic launched at Xi with another Sonic Storm at the ready, but it was too late. In that instant, the world went white, and everything seemed to fade. The world spun, and spun, and spun, while that space around them seemed to warp, no longer being under its own will, the law of nature. Xi's laugh and the praises of Metal echoed throughout the entire Industry City, along with a phrase that Sonic hoped too never hear, and for Shade to never have to hear again in her life.

_The will of Argus, must escape Argus._

Then Industry City collapsed all around them, and even though the heroes were swept away somehow, they could still hear the horrible fate of the world around them.

* * *

**Location: Twilight's Ruin**

The world finally came back into focus soon enough, and though Sonic felt as if a ton of bricks hit his head he quickly got back up onto his feet, wiping some of the crimson liquid that fell from his muzzle as he looked up into the sky, completely entranced by the sight of the next Argus Event unfolding before him.

"Oh...oh god."

The turquoise glow of the sky had also become a bit more blue, and dead in the center was a massive cone like portal that took up a great portion of the sky. Odd, brown squid like appendages emerged from it, swaying in the air as more of the blue ripples spread out along them. Blue lightning scorched the torn and wasteland like area below Sonic, only garbage, and the torn roadways being left along with much of the ruined city's pipes and one or two fragmented factories. The rest of the city was floating in the air, broken up into many pieces and floating slowly towards the Twilight Cage.

It was a sight Sonic would never forget; he would never underestimate what happened to the Nocturnus again. The blue hedgehog sighed in relief as he counted all twelve of the heroes, including himself, and could focus on stopping all of this now that he knew his friends were safe form the pull of the Twilight Cage. The heroes came towards Sonic, who stood in the main roadway leading straight to where the

Central Factory once was, just as injured and in shock as he was.

But before any of them could discuss what happened, a large, starry black sphere shot through the debris from the opening the Twilight Cage, a green aura surrounding it before it hit the ground and burst in a large green shock wave that pushed many of the heroes back. Sonic looked around, noticing that with Tain and Blaze done in, and Amy, Alice, and Marine still healing Silver and Knuckles, only Sonic, Gemini, Shade, Tails, and Luxi could still fight, meaning the odds were stacked against them.

"It's good to be back," the white echidna said, slapping his staff against the ground as the green orb in the center of it glowed.

He could be almost be the twin of Xi, save for the absent green marks, the purple robe lined with gold, and light blue lines, and the large golden cuffs along with the massive mystical turquoise energy that surrounded him. To his sides stood three black armored Nocturnus soldiers, one which was flying and had two large wide blades, known as a Nocturne Decurion, and two foot soldiers with high powered arms cannons and more streamlined armor that fit around their bodies well, known as the Nocturne Praetorians. The white echidna in the middle looked at Sonic glared at him, ordering for his foot soldiers to attack.

Imperator Pir'Oth Ix the Echidna was back from the Twilight Cage.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: There's a bombshell for you kids reading at home! What will happen now that Xi's identity and plans are revealed, and where is Xi and Metal? Will Xi and Ix truly merge? And what will the heroes do to stop all of this? Hang tight for the epic ending to this two part and the finale for the Metal-Xi arc that will finally end the battle for the hearts of the world! Please drop a review by, whether I know you or if you have have reviewed before, or not. It lets me know you care so, so much!


	28. Until Twilight Part Two

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 28: Until Twilight Part Two

"Kill the hedgehog, and keep the echidna alive. I want to torture her slowly for the hell she has put me through!" Ix demanded.

The echidnas were not like those the Knuckles Clan, rushing ahead with impressive speed. The Praetorians unleashed a barrage of Leech Bullets from their guns, which the five fighting heroes barely managed to avoid. Shade took the lead, narrowing her eyes as she formed tow Leech Blades before rushing ahead. The echidna leaped over another series of blasts before launching at the Decurion with a Blade Rush, who sent out two Leech Waves in return. The blue wave impacted against the rushing, sword wielding Shade, causing a burst of smoke to fill the air in front of her.

"That was easy," the Decurion commented.

"It's not over yet," Ix muttered. "I didn't train her to be that weak."

True to his word, the creamy furred echidna launched out from the cloud of smoke, her Blade Rush streaking past the Decurion and slicing off one of its wings. As the Decurion fell, Shade grabbed onto its other wing, the two spinning around and planting her feet in its gut as they fell through the air before slicing off its other wing before striking her Leech Blade right through the Decurion's heart. The echidna leaped off as the Decurion fell to the ground in a shower of its own blood, dying instantly upon impact.

"I mean business, Ix. Now, you should listen to me and go back into the Twilight Cage. Some people out here mean bad business for you. They opened this thing as a trap for you," Shade reasoned.

"Why should I believe you, huh?" Ix glared. "Even so, no one can overpower me!"

"Then I'll have to drag you back in there myself," Shade threatened, only to have to dodge attacks from both Praetorians. "Guys, I need backup!"

"Fire Boost!" Blaze called out, suddenly charging forward.

In that instant an aura of shooting flames surrounded her body, causing her to launch forward at speeds that would impress Sonic. The Praetorian shot at Blaze multiple times, attempting to stop her, but it was useless as a massive burst of flames shot through the Praetorian in Blaze's wake. As the cat stopped the other Praetorian fired at her, this one also summoning a Leech Blade in its other hand. The cat dodged it just as Tain joined the fray, forming his Tattoo Whips and approaching slowly.

The cat lunged at him with Fire Claws on both of her hands, and as he blocked with his Leech Blades Tain snapped one whip around, pulling his gun behind his back before taking the other and snapping his neck with it. As the Praetorian fell to the ground the heroes relaxed for a moment until Shade fell at Blaze's feet, Ix's smoking staff glowing ominously.

The echidna got back up again and quickly tossed a Leech Blade through the air at Ix, but he simply laughed before his staff formed a dome of turquoise around him, the blade simply bouncing off of it. Shade grabbed the Leech Blade out of the air and brought it down upon the barrier with a Blade Drop, a massive shock wave launching out from the impact. But despite the added power the echidna was tossed back across the ground with little effort, her former master looking on smugly.

"Look at how weak you've become," Ix growled, black ribbons of magic wrapping itself around the green orbs on top of his scepter for one final attack. "You're pathetic now. This compassion has left you with a sense of security you cannot afford. Now, die!"

"Wait!" Shade said. "Honestly, I'm warning you! Xi is here!"

Ix stopped his attack in its tracks, his expression become on of pure fear as all of the color drained out of his face. In that instant, a green portal with data outlining it appeared behind the echidna, and before he could react Xi pressed an unusual black machine shaped like a gun into his back with a blue heart on the side of it, and pulled the trigger. Ix's Dark Orb attack shot off randomly into the air, destroying a massive floating factory as he screamed out, falling to the ground.

"No!" Sonic called out, knowing it was too late to do anything.

"Yes, now I shall finally gain a heart and be free of my programming!" Metal shouted with glee, clutching his fists.

Ix began to fade into particles of blue, his body slowly disappearing as his heart was forcefully ripped from him. Xi then fell to the ground as well, instead laughing as the particles began to fly into him, data streams now also being aided by streams of what seemed to be magical energy. Ix then fully faded away, his essence then suddenly shooting into Xi's chest. The Virus Nobody's body vibrated violently as their powers combined, levitating high above the ground as he wrestled for control from Ix.

"Shit! How are we going to stop him now?" Sonic wondered in panic, doubting their ability to stop the true, reunited power of Ix.

"I know what to do!" a voice shouted.

To the heroes' fortune, Tails was suddenly in front of Metal and behind Xi, his Virus Arrow charged as he sent the massive, orange data infused projectile directly into Xi's unprotected back. The impact was instantaneous-as the arrow hit, Tails was tossed back into the ground and the unstable Xi suddenly stopped glowing, shooting back into the ground with a purple robe and a staff made of data. As the two anthros laid in the ground, data streams flowing off both of their bodies, their allies rushed over to them in a panic, wondering what happened.

"Looks like...that brat chose the perfect time to unleash his Viral Arrow...my body will break apart and Ix's heart will die inside of me," Xi chuckled as Metal held his body. "I had a feeling...this would happen...it just feels good to have had a heart, even if it was only momentarily, you know?"

"You will not die on me," Metal gritted. "I still don't have a heart, and all of this was for nothing...and my only comrade, the only one who understood what it was like to not have a heart, will be gone."

"I think...you'll do fine..." Xi smiled. "Besides...everything is so clear now...you had what you needed...all along..."

"What do you mean?" Metal asked, Xi's body glowing again, this time as fragments of data flew out of his body and into the air where they dissipated. "I'm left with nothing!"

"The Precursors had their own research about the hearts, much of what I was unable to show to you once our plan started," Xi explained. "It stated they believed that a being who did not have a heart, but they came from one who had multiple hearts, or a very strong heart, could form a being from themselves who could eventually gain a heart."

"You're not saying..."

"Yes. Because you were created from a fragment of Sonic's heart, you have a gained a heart of your own over time. That's why you could rebel against your programming, why Eggman's obedience chip failed, and why you have the will to do what you have done here, without focusing completely on the one you came from," Xi concluded, his body beginning to slowly fade away from the legs up. "Your robotic tendencies have only come from the fact that you did not believe in the power of the heart you already had. You have always had a heart, and even though it is weak, it will grow strong. You will do fine by yourself."

"No! What will I do, all alone in this world?" Metal pleaded. "Don't leave me!"

"I will never leave you," Xi whispered to him, placing his hand on Metal's heart just as it faded. "I will always be with you...in your heart. It has the power to do things like that."

And with that the viral echidna's body burst into a storm of data streams which disintegrated in the air as they flowed upwards, meaning that Xi, like Ix, was no more. Metal simply stared at the ground where Xi stood, unable to comprehend what just happened. At the same time, Sonic and friends looked down at Tails, the blue hedgehog on his knees as Tails laid in his arms. an unusual orange glow surrounding him.

"Tails? What's...happening to you bro?" Sonic wondered.

"I knew that I had to hit him at close range then or we would never get the chance once Xi became complete and not just a virus," Tails said weakly, his Energy Cannon falling to the ground mysteriously. "I should have expected an adverse effect. After all, Xi was very unstable. Maybe Ix had a magic counter built into himself in case anyone tried to corrupt him and its passed onto Xi. I don't really know."

"Will you be okay?" Amy asked slowly.

The fox simply shook his head.

"I...I think the opposite reaction is turning me into a simple virus," the fox explained. "I'm becoming like Xi, except my physical form will be pushed into the Global Network too."

"No! You're my bro! We've gone on adventures together always! We're so different, but we were always the best of friends! What will I do without you by my side?" Sonic wondered sadly.

"You will move on," Tails told him. "Just don't forget about me...okay? Who knows, maybe eventually I'll be able to return."

"I'll wait for the day. Matter in fact, if I find a way I'll go in and get you out myself," Sonic promised, smiling as tears streaked down his face. "Miss you for now, dude."

"I'll miss you too, Sonic. I promise I'll come back, no matter what," the fox smiled, his tears suddenly disintegrating in waves of orange light.

Shortly after his body levitated in the air before evaporating into orange codes of data that shortly afterwards faded away, leaving the blue hedgehog with nothing in his arms as the other heroes just watched. The Twilight Cage began to close above them as it sucked in the levitated Industry City parts, the sky returning to a normal blue shade as the edges of dusk crept along the horizon. The ruins of the city were composed of the remains of many pipes and a few factories along with the mazes of roadways, otherwise the rest of area being covered by small mounds of garbage that stretched for miles.

"Everything I have is gone," Metal whispered. "I killed the Doctor, the had to kill the Gizoid, and Xi is now dead."

"What are you going to do now?" Sonic asked solemnly.

"I'm..." Metal began a massive aura of neon blue electricity began to flare up around the robotic hedgehog. "I'm going to kill you for taking away everything I had! The Doctor needed to die, but you changed everything Emerl believed in and then you killed Xi and our entire plan! I'm going to kill not because I have to, but to show you the drive of MY heart! It is not just yours!"

"My sources say the corruption has systematically stopped all over the world and GUN is now in the process of cleaning up," Alice told him. "So all you have to worry about is taking Metal out."

"I will," Sonic said. "You're the reason Tails is stuck in the Global Network now, and it's about time we settled this thing between us, once and for all!"

"That's funny, because that's exactly what will happen," Metal snarled, his aura dying down as he prepared to fight. "Let me show you the power of my heart!"

Sonic rushed forward, fading into a wave of afterimages as he approached Metal. The robot unleashed a Thunder Barrier that went all around him to avoid the massive tornado that rose up around him as Sonic rushed around and around. The blue hedgehog jumped to the side as the barrier expanded before moving around even faster the tornado intensifying but Metal still being protected by his barrier in the center. The blue hedgehog then vanished from the outlines of the tornado as Metal waited patiently in the center, neon blue electricity crackling around his body.

"Make a move, Sonic!" Metal dared.

And so he did. The blue hedgehog suddenly shot right through the side of the Sonic Tornado in a Sonic Boom, disturbing the massive cyclone as he smashed right through the Thunder Barrier. Metal simply smirked as Sonic was suddenly inches in front of him, shooting forward with a powerful fist. The robotic hedgehog spread out his arms as he unleashed his Spark Field attack, sending a discharges of lightning every which way. Sonic suddenly staggered back, electricity shooting off his fur as the discharges shocked him before he jumped back, ignoring his wounds.

As the attacks died down Sonic unleashed a gale of blue wind from his arm, the attack impacting against Metal's electrified claw as the robot skidded back from the force. Sonic suddenly was behind the former Eggman's robot in the air, unleashing a powerful Axe Kick. Metal pulled off an impressive spin as both attacks missed him before he attempted to lunge out for the blue anthro. Sonic sidestepped the lunge before punching Metal with great force in the shoulder, the force almost popping the hinges that connected his neck to his chest.

The robotic hedgehog staggered back before swinging around and unleashing an electrified claw which sliced Sonic up his arm and caused him to cry out as the electricity shocked him. Nonetheless the hedgehog then unleashed a Windmill Kick, but Metal quickly ducked under it before outstretching his claw and unleashing arcs of lightning and at point blank range that ripped up the ground towards Sonic. Sonic summoned a Sonic Wind in each hand and kept them in his hands to repel the Lightning Arcs.

"You're gonna have to do better than that!" Sonic taunted.

As the attacks dissipated Sonic charged forward and unleashed a powerful Sonic Wind upwards before Metal could charge up his Volt Strike, launching the blue blur's look a like into the air. Metal looked down to find Sonic racing up towards him, a Sonic Storm in hand. The robot quickly called upon the green emerald within himself and flashed away in a Chaos Control to avoid the Sonic Storm in the nick of time. As Sonic descended through the air Metal landed on the broken walkway above the space where a factory and stood and a sea of broken pipes surrounded it, the blue hedgehog landing on the other end of the railway.

"Avoiding my attacks won't get you anywhere!" Sonic smirked. "You've barely landed a hit."

"I could say the same to you. Maybe you're just not fast enough!" Metal retorted. "At that speed I'll kill you without even a challenge!"

"You're underestimating my speed? Someone must getting a sense of humor, because I'll smash into the ground with this speed. You may have a heart but you're just a machine!" Sonic snarled.

"Which gives me the power to annihilate you!" Metal roared before sprinting forward, electrifying both of his claws to a lethal point.

The blue hedgehog ducked under an arc of electricity before he jabbed Metal multiple times in the gut before he dodged two more arcs of electricity left behind by a few claw swipes. Sonic retaliated with a close range Sonic Wind, but Metal leaped over it before coming down by stabbing the ground and unleashing a high powered current of electricity through the walkway. The azure anthro quickly leaped up into the air, but Metal shot up after him before shocking him with his claw and then throwing him into the current of lightning.

Rolling smoke curled off of Sonic's body as he flipped back to his feet, not letting the numb feeling take over him. Suddenly a shock of cold yet powerful energy ripped through Sonic's body as a faint navy aura circled his body-he could feel that same power that induced the deadly form that killed Terra and almost killed Pain. Though it would win the match for him the blue blur did not enjoy that loss of control he had over himself from using it-he decided he would have to end the match in a few more attacks if he wanted to retain that control.

Metal charged at Sonic again, trying to take advantage of his momentary weakness as he tried to hold back his energy but the cerulean furred hedgehog slapped his claw down before flipping over the former Eggman's robot and smashing him in the back with a powerful kick. The two fighters separated from each other before choosing to unleash their final attacks. Sonic allowed some of the cold energy to slip over, black and navy streams of wind joining the blue and creating an indigo shaded Sonic Wind with more size, while Metal's armor became even more steam lined, almost like an aircraft as his jet flared and heavy amounts of electricity circled his body.

A moment of silence passed, and then two shot off.

"Overdrive!" Metal hissed, launching far beyond beyond the speed of sound as electricity flared around him and pushed with a such a high frequency that the air thinned around him.

"Sonic Boom!" Sonic bellowed, holding the empowered Sonic Storm forward as he shot forward at beyond supersonic speeds to meet Metal.

The two opponents met in the air, unleashing a massive burst of neon blue arcs and cyan winds that ripped apart all of the structures around them. The impact spread out and destroyed everything around them, even dimming out the light from the sun in comparison. The forces pushed against each other, but in the end the unstable forces simply burst apart, sending the two fighters to opposite ends of the ruins they created, both panting as Sonic's right, suddenly vermilion eye turned back to a warm jade one to match the other.

"What...what are these feelings?" Metal asked, clutching his heart. "They hurt...but not physically."

"It's called sadness, Metal, and it eats away at you unless you can cope with it," Sonic said. "It's gonna be hard to cope with it alone, so you should-"

"I don't need your damn sympathy!" Metal hissed hoarsely, giving one sad expression before he warped away in a Chaos Control, leaving the heroes in the wasteland that was formerly Industry City, and the place where a friend was lost.

Or so they thought.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

"I have had to switch my form, but the process is done," the Lord of Ragnarok said, sitting on the edge of a white pillar before leaping off, landing next to Leo. He did not even spare him a glance, instead looking out into space as if his mind was in a completely different place. "Let's depart, this is important business with two...former friends that may shape the face of the war that may occur. It's time to deal with those meddling fools behind the new Chosen."

"Yes, yes Master," Leo bowed before opening up a portal, allowing his Master to go through before he did. The things that would occur at their destination would reveal truths that would impact the heroes forever.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: So that's the end of the Metal-Xi Arc, which is my favorite arc so far, actually. The next arc, which will come up soon, is very short, but will finally reveal the Lord of Ragnarok for who he truly is and what he wants to do, along with catch us up with Chaos and Tikal, along with reveal what the Chosen are and what Sonic has to do with them. So hang tight for the midway point (chapter 30), which will change the turn of this story until the end and focus back in on Gemini and Ragnarok a bit more. So, please review honestly, spread the word of this story to friends who would like this story, and would review, and hang tight for what's to come soon!


	29. Beholding Nebula

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 29: Beholding Nebula

**Location: Savannah Citadel, Mazuri**

The Savannah Citadel was just as amazing the thick of night. Large torches lit up the entire structure, along all of the pathways and halls. Tall, hard beige structures rose up into the thick of the large, thick sprawling trees above and stood above the marsh like areas below. Guards were stationed above every pathway, some sporting modern pistols along with more traditional weapons like spears and swords. Fireflies flew about the darker areas, illuminating them in a warm glow while the starry sky above and the moon added to this light, leaving very little to absolute darkness in the Savannah.

Through the seemingly peaceful darkness, a strange shape rose from the marsh pit below, forming a liquid cyan claw which grasped on to a wooden pathway below and pulled himself up. The water then formed into liquefied chaos not unlike that found in the chao, forming into long, lumbering arms, a watery center, and lanky legs which ended in amphibious feet, all of the same color. Two protruding objects came out of the back of his head, along with a small, pulsing brain in the top of his head in addition to two large emerald eyes which pierced through the darkness.

The Guardian God of Chao and the God of Destruction, Chaos, looked out through the underground passage. A guard noticed him, suddenly pulling out his firearm but the gel like creature suddenly held out his hand. The vapors around the mouth of the guard suddenly became more dense and shot into his mouth, knocking him peacefully unconscious. The water controller checked his breathing to make sure he would be okay before climbing with great dexterity to the walkways above, stretching his limbs to propel himself off of each one before reaching the top of a beige building above.

"What are we here for, Chaos?" Tikal asked, her orb spirit form appearing below the hedgehog

"I am here to aid the heroes in any way I can. I have decided that even if I am punished for it, this conflict is far bigger than they can imagine and they will need my aid," Chaos answered. "I believe that a powerful force of Ragnarok is going to arrive here, and I plan to destroy it before it can grow."

"Do you know what this force is?" Tikal wondered.

"I do not, but its chaos energy is massive," Chaos said. "I do not even have to sense it. You can feel it all over the air."

"I can, and I'm not truly physical!" Tikal realized. "What are we dealing with?"

"I do not know," was all the guardian god said, standing at the edge of the bridge and looking out, "I do not know."

The Guardian God looked over into the air, using his great powers to feel out the chaos energy of everything within a thousand miles. The small energies of a few powerful humans and most anthros were quickly ruled out as the massive and constant output of energy rippled over everything, quickly moving through space. Chaos quickly assumed it was a powerful warp technique and knew he had to figure out the destination and catch up quickly. Tikal's spirit form flew into Chaos before he burst into a storm of liquefied chaos droplets that clustered together and shot through the air at great speed, the ground below whizzing by him.

As he shot through the air, moving too fast for the guards to truly comprehend, spreading through any object that stood in his way, he followed the source of the energy over the Savannah Citadel. But in an instant the energy was suddenly gone, causing the guardian god to become confused and drop back into his regular form. Chaos landed on the roof of a massive protective tower, knocking out the guard before he could attack him and trying to search out the energy again. Tikal came out again, forming into a spectral version of her echidna form as she looked over Chaos while he search over the energies again.

"How could the energy just disappear like that?" Chaos wondered. "Only the strongest of the anthros or a god could possibly control and regulate such immense amounts of energy. I have never seen anything of the sort."

"Is Ragnarok really in control of forces that powerful? I was wrong; the gods did not overreact," Tikal frowned.

"You are right: they may have even underestimated the severity of this still," Chaos responded. "I have to find this energy. I will not miss this chance to deal another blow to Ragnarok."

But before the chao guardian could respond, a searing heart rose up from under the tower before a mass of magma shot up and solidified into a sharp mass of rock. The tower shattered almost instantly, leaving behind ruins and instantly killing every guard along it. Chaos landed on the top of a wooden platform while a Ragnarok agent landed on the walkway stretching over the top of the gate overlooking the broken tower, looking down at Chaos on the wooden platform.

Leo took off his entire cloak, revealing his entire body to be covered in an armor like layer of half-solidified lava which seemed to cover almost every part of his body save for his upper arms, neck, upper legs, and stomach. The lion showed a toothy grin through his armor before spreading out his arms, causing his armor to break apart into a protective field of lava in addition to melting some of the rock that the Savannah Citadel sat on, causing it to shoot up through the ground and rear in the air as if the waves of lava were going to pounce on the God of Destruction.

"I've been ordered to take care of you," the lion grinned, "and there is no way I will lose."

"How do you figure that? I'm sure your organization knows of my identity and what I can do," Chaos replied.

"I have already taken in those variables. While you must have unlimited chaos energy reserves and control over water, the air is dry and the water is not very accessible since you've moved so far into the city so you can only use the water that is within your body," Leo deduced. "Therefore, I have the advantage, especially since this massive city is above a massive sheet of rock that I can easily melt."

"Good guess, but you'd be surprised at what a god can do," Chaos said.

The god stretched his arms, wide forming massive cyan orbs of chaos energy in his stretched grasp before tossing them at Leo. The lion simply smirked, unleashing a wave of magma which burst apart at the impact of the orbs, the attacks, canceling each other out. Leo sent another wave of magma at the chao guardian, but he spun around in the air while waves of very light blue chaos energy whirled around him, repelling the magma around him before outstretching his arms to the sides of the bridges and using himself as a slingshot to kick out and slam Leo in the chest, sending him flying over a building and onto another roof.

The God of Destruction landed on the same roof, charging up a powerful cyan burst of chaos energy in his hands before outstretching one arm to fit it and elongating his arm rapidly. The blast was on target but Leo was prepared, the protective lava zone around him swallowing the blast before shooting at Chaos. The aquatic god leaped over the blast before launching his fists at the lion, who deflected it away by creating two solid walls of igneous rock. Leo then liquefied the walls before spinning the protective zone around him and outstretching his arms towards Chaos.

"Magma Reckoning!" Leo shouted.

At that moment the God of Destruction realized he had forgotten about the extra lava summoned from the underground rock, and suddenly found it rising on all sides around him. Chaos shot a barrage of chaos bursts into the cascading lava, but it did little to stop it. The lava smashed down upon the chao-like creature and buried him under waves of lava that then solidified, causing a massive growth of rock to cover most of the building. The lion then compacted the rock together before sending a wave of spikes through it, finishing the job.

"Well well well, looks like someone was wrong about their superior status," Leo cackled, walking up the side of the rock growth. "You may be a god, but you're just like the rest of us. You can be killed, and I'm the one with the power to do so. The Lord of Ragnarok will be very pleased with me. Maybe he'll make me even stronger!"

"That's the thing," Chaos said, suddenly smashing Leo in the chest with a massive burst of water and sending him sprawling to the edge of the roof. Vapors that filled the air suddenly formed into Chaos' body, completely unharmed. Leo was in too much shock to react as the god walked forward, looming over him. "I am far more than just another one of you. I can be killed, but it will take much more than that. And you, you do not have even a fraction of the power to do that."

"Impossible..." Leo murmured.

"On the contrary, it is very possible," Chaos responded. "And because of my power, nothing is impossible. For example, no matter how dry it seems, there is still waster in the air, however small, and I can pull as much of it as I need with little trouble."

To bring out his final example, the god raised his hands in the air, summoning upon the water within it. At first, nothing happened. But then the water began to culminate, and within second a massive wave of water akin to the size of a smaller waterfall descended upon the Ragnarok agent who found himself helpless. The Tidal Cascade attack fell down with an amazing amount of pressure, instantly destroying the building and flooding many of the streets below while the god guided the attack to avoid the citizens while focusing mainly on Leo. The lion was quickly crushed by the immense pressure, every bone in his body breaking before he was totally eradicated.

By the time the attack was finished, Leo the Lion was no more. Chaos quickly looked down at the roof as the corpse laid in the street, watching for signs of movement only to find none. The god waited there a bit more, trying to figure out what the source of the energy could be, but then it suddenly flared up, within the view of the god.

"It may have seemed cruel to send Leo out to die, but it was necessary. Only those who truly believe in the mission of Ragnarok will have the will to survive," the Lord of Ragnarok stated. The hooded figure had on a Ragnarok cloak, but it was much longer, more elegant, and had a long collar with something akin to belt buckles going across the collars and then the zipper area. On the back of the cloak styled coat of sorts was the design of a ivory shaded horizon, and there were no sleeves, having light orange fur covering his arms. "I am well aware that you have been searching for me-you're trying to eliminate Ragnarok in one blow."

"That is the truth, I suppose," Chaos said, still reeling from the massive amount of power coming from this figure. It was easily on his level of power, and he had no idea what the Lord of Ragnarok had in store.

"You know, you've been a serious thorn in my side. First you helped those Chosen, then you've been impeding my higher agents while they have been collecting more energy from the disturbances while the heroes worry about other things," the Lord of Ragnarok stated, not even looking at his enemy. "It would be in both of our best interests to settle this now, instead of trying to sabotage each other. That is why I have chosen to seek you out today."

"You do seem very familiar. I can't pinpoint what it is, though. It feels like a long time ago, however, long before I was sealed in the Master Emerald," Chaos commented. "We shall settle this, just not here. If you are a powerful as you seem, our battle may destroy most of this city."

"A fair point," the Master said, suddenly disappearing through one of his vortexes. "Follow me."

The God waited a moment before jumping through with Tikal inside of him, ready to fight this mysterious leader.

* * *

**Location: Apotos**

The vortex was very similar to Chaos Control, just only on a spatial plane-they were at their location in an instant, despite the fact it was almost halfway around the world. The small island they were own was connected to the mainland by a small harbor down below the structures that rose up from it. The small colony of buildings that rose up from the rock of the island was hoisted up by a massive block of marble, while the clusters of buildings formed a miniature version of a city of sorts.

The vortex opened up in the island's center, which was a massive square that opened up to the rest of the area. The buildings were illuminated by massive bolts of lightning that streaked across the sky and then the ground, cascades of rain pouring down over the two opponents. A moment of silence passed in between the two fighters as the rain intensified even more, blowing things about as the water reached the bottoms of their ankles.

"Why did you bring us here?" Chaos wondered.

"It is an isolated island where the rich and blissful of Apotos live," the Lord of Ragnarok explained, watching the lightning as it pierced the ground. "The island is being completely redone form the rock up to become even more luxurious for these rich people who isolate themselves from the cries of the world's societies. There is no one here, and if we destroy this island it will mean nothing. The shackles of oppression on this world such as the ones here are the ones I intend to destroy."

"You truly believe what you are doing is of a noble purpose," Chaos warned. "The Chaos Cores are powerful and unpredictable, and with the Chaos Solstice quickly approaching you may cause far more destruction than you think."

"Destruction sows the seed for the greatest beauty," the Lord of Ragnarok sighed. "But no matter. I'm not here to convince you of my goal, Chaos. But its sad. I remember you and everything that happened so clearly, but you don't even remember me."

"A few thousand years sealed away does great damage to one's psyche," Chaos explained, "especially when you won't show your face to me."

"That is true," the Lord of Ragnarok admitted, reaching up his white gloved hand to undo each belt buckle along his coat, the God of Destruction looking on intently. "If you don't look even slightly different from the way you appeared all of those years ago, then I suppose I wouldn't, either."

"You are very familiar," Tikal said, looking on intently as all of the belt buckles were undone, revealing brilliant orange fur under it. "But it sounds like...you're from before I sealed myself and Chaos away."

"I am, princess of the Knuckles Clan," the Lord of Ragnarok said, removing his hood as Chaos and Tikal looked on in shock. "Now, do you recognize me in the slightest?"

"No way...you look different, but there's no mistaking it," Chaos said as piercing red eyes with multiple rings going out to the edges stared at him then, a deathly pale muzzle showing a blank expression. Three orange quill like shapes made up his head, tipped in red at the end with one going up and the other two out to the sides. Elegant and curving vermilion markings covered his cheeks and bridged up past his short nose, while these marking also covered his shoulders and spread slightly to his upper arms. "I can't believe you have finally returned. The seal should have lasted for a few thousand more years."

"It is still active," he stated, his voice soft and calm yet direct. The Lord of Ragnarok spread out his arms to each side as two elegant crimson chakrams formed in his hands, coated in powerful scarlet energy. "I have just discovered my other abilities and found a way around it. I thought you would be happy to see my return, younger brother."

"Much like the way I did after the war, Nebula, the God of Rebirth," Chaos stated. "You were the last person who I thought would be involved in this."

"The war taught me of the surprises of life," Nebula said. "You should have been prepared for anything. But nonetheless, I can and still will destroy both of you. I cannot have either one of you impeding my goals any longer."

The God of Rebirth suddenly reeled his arm back and tossed his chakram through the air, moving in a razor sharp blur towards the God of Destruction. Chaos quickly rolled to the side as the weapon shot past him, but it quickly shot back around and shot through Chaos, cleaving of his arm in an instant. The God of Destruction slapped his stump into the water as his arm grew back before looking up, his brother grabbing the chakram out of the air and swooping down upon him. The chao guardian suddenly shot up his hands, causing a swarm of Geyser Tendrils to rise from the ground. The God of Rebirth seemed finished as the attacks shot at him from all sides, but he quickly spun around before releasing his chakrams, causing them to orbit his body in powerful rings of scarlet energy as the attacks simply tore apart around his protective barrier.

As the Lord of Ragnarok landed he shot at his opponent, charging as his chakrams tore up the ground with their destructive power. Chaos shot a stretched out fist at the Lord of Ragnarok, but he dodged with little effort. But this put him directly in the way of Chaos' other fist, though he managed to flip over Chaos' fist run up his arm, and kick Chaos across the face before smashing both of his chakrams into Chaos, knocking him across the ground in a burst of scarlet energy before the God of Rebirth leaped back, the chakrams returning to his hands.

"I guess so much time sealed away has made you weak," Nebula said. "It's a shame, really, how long you spent in there while I managed to escape my seal in just two thousand years. With all of the time I have spent collecting strength and creating Ragnarok's mighty plans, you barely stood a chance in the first place. It's a wonder you have sabotaged my operations to the degree that you did."

_This doesn't make sense,_ Chaos thought as Nebula walked slowly towards him. _I know Nebula well, he was my greatest ally before the God War. He was one of the greatest users of chaos energy and created tons of chaos techniques beyond any of the ones now...so why is he just using these chakram attacks?!_

_Maybe the seal took away his ability to use chaos attacks so he's had to resort to just this,_ Tikal responded. _He said he found a way to escape it, not break it._

_The Sacred Seal technique cannot be partially escaped or broken. It is either broken or escaped, or it is not,_ Chaos explained. _Plus, he has a complete aura of powerful chaos energy, which means he could use all of his attacks. What did he do to escape the Sacred Seal?_

"Chaos Wave!" Chaos called out, unleashing powerful pulsing ripples of light cyan energy from his hands which shot through the air at powerful speeds.

Nebula was taken completely by shock from the attack and was only able to destroy it by holding both chakrams in front of himself and unleashing beam of energy from their centers to destroy the attack. The God of Destruction was ready for this, cyan energy surrounding his fist as he punched the ground, unleashing a Chaos Quake which knocked Nebula up into the air and tore up the marble under them. Chaos quickly leaped after Nebula, summoning a large Chaos Orb into his hand which he then slammed into Nebula's chakrams.

Nebula's guard broke shortly along with his chakrams as the Lord of Ragnarok descended like a meteor, crashing through a building which fell into the rising water. Tikal went inside Chao before he leaped after Nebula with a great bound, jumping on top of the wreckage as Nebula pulled himself up from the water and summoned new chakrams into his hands. The God of Rebirth's aura flared as he stared down Chaos, who seemed slightly injured but otherwise alright.

"You were always much more durable than that, despite the fact you were made of flesh," Chaos realized. "Something is off about you. You haven't used any of your powerful chaos techniques, and you do look unusually different. In fact, your aura is usually even larger than this."

"Guard yourself, brother. I will not rest until you are eliminated," was the light orange furred god's response.

The God of Rebirth held his chakrams straight up into the air, summoning two more vortexes. Two new figures emerged from them, wearing the same attire as they took off their hoods. All three figures shared the same eyes, orange fur, and elegant purple markings, though the figure to his left was much bulkier, a little taller, and had a long red lock like shape that reached down to his short tail while the other was of the same height though he was slightly bulkier and had steel gloves and boots in addition to five quill like shapes which all went out behind him instead of up or down.

"Who...who are you people?" Chaos asked, completely bewildered by the turn of events.

"We are Nebula," the chakram wielding one said before the steel gloved fighter shot forward, charging with great speed at Chaos.

* * *

**Location: Prison Island**

Four figures moved through the shadows of the polluted and wrecked forest with great agility, moving past the malfunctioning GUN Sentries with little difficulty. The sickly yellow trees were unable to stop the figures who moved through the deathly plant life with such agility and speed that only one of the figures was truly visible.

"Where are we going that we have to go through here?" Fang complained, moving at the back of the group. "It's so dirty!"

"It's the fastest way to the Coastal Valley, where the heroes are now at Gemini Rose's private estate," the one in the front stated, having dark gray fur and an unusual weapon strapped to his back. "We can hijack a plane at the edge of the island by the aquatic prisons. It won't take long, so stop complaining."

"How are you doing with Bean and Bark's deaths and all?" another one of the figures asked, revealing herself to have bold, red scaly skin. "I'm sorry I found out so late. Chaos was acting really weird when he told us to leave so suddenly. He acted like he wouldn't be coming back."

"It's all good," Fang assured. "They couldn't believe I was one of these you damn people anyway. I'll miss them, but they did abandon me once they found out about all of this-I've got no reason to kill my emotions over them. I don't give a real fuck about them. Besides, Chaos can survive anything, he's a god! He'll be all right."

The group of four continued to move across the ruined island, moving towards Coastal Valley to collect another one of their own. Fang hadn't seen Sonic since they fought so long ago, but it would be interesting to see him again-who could guess he would be the another Chosen, especially the last one?

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so we start this great arc by revealing the Lord of Ragnarok, and alluding to the Chosen at the end. What is the deal with all three of these figures being Nebula? Are they really brothers? And what happened between them so long ago that has now made the enemies? And what are the Chosen truly after and why was Chaos overseeing them for so long? Much of these questions will be answered next chapter, which is the great halfway chapter for this story whose revelations will probably affect most of the story afterwards, so hang tight for that! So be sure to catch up with your reviews, because after this the next of this story really picks up and if you don't understand ANYTHING then you will be lost.


	30. Cataclysmic Origins

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 30: Cataclysmic Origins

Chaos watched as the steel gloved fighter charged, scarlet energy flaring around his fist before he blurred behind Chaos, the god completely unprepared as the fist swung around. The impact shot the liquefied creature clear across the area, through a building, and then sent him crashing through the side of a small bridge before he tumbled across the ground and smashed into a wall head first before falling to the ground. The God of Destruction quickly put his arms into the ground as he infused his chaos into the water to reform his body.

"None of this makes any sense," Chaos explained as he stood up to his full height, his energies slightly disturbed from the hit. Tikal emerged from his body, her spectral form staring at the god. "It's clear that 'Nebula' we fought summoned some allies, but they look just like him. And none of them look like the Nebula I remember. I'm not even sure if that is Nebula anymore."

"They will probably be searching the area for you," Tikal said. "If we can lure one of them away, then maybe we can figure this all out."

"An intelligent idea, Tikal," Chaos complimented, stretching his arm and using it as a pulley to vault himself onto the rooftop. "Let's hope it isn't the larger one that we find; it would be better to find one which we already know the abilities of."

The chao guardian leaped across two other rooftops, trying his best to sense out the energies of the fighters without revealing his own energies. It barely managed to work, but after a few minutes the guardian god managed to find one. Chaos jumped down onto a small balcony, raining falling down from it to the ground below while he looked through a garden to another balcony, where the larger Ragnarok stood. By the time he saw him, it was too late.

Chaos landed on wide balcony with a loud splash, the water spraying up into the air and obscuring the God of Rebirth's vision for a moment before Chaos held his hands out, sharpening the droplets of water and launching them at the anthro. To his surprise this version of the supposed God of Rebirth held out his hands, forming a large white barrier which all of the Piercing Rain bounced off of harmlessly. A large white disc like shield then formed in front of the orange furred being which was then shot at Chaos.

The God of Destruction leaped out of the way as the disc like shield shot past him, ripping through the walls of a building before dissipating on the other side. Chaos rolled to the side as a constricting barrier formed there before launching off of the ground, avoiding two more discs, and slapping his palm on the orange being's chest to release his Chaos Prison technique. A medium sized sphere of pure light blue energy suspended the Ragnarok agent's body in midair, leaving him frozen in time as well.

"It's a more ancient version of the Chaos Rift, but it'll have to do for now," the chao guardian settled.

But all of a sudden the two powerful auras of his opponents appeared as they rushed across the buildings towards Chaos. The God of Destruction quickly pulled the rain out of the air around him and formed a powerful Tidal Cascade technique almost instantly, the massive pressurized waves of water forming almost magically in the air and blocking the two off as they barely managed to doge the massive attack, many waves of powerful water still smashing into them. As the two mysterious fighters recovered, washing up on a roof, they quickly looked out past the attack, but Chaos vanished.

The God of Destruction morphed out of his flying cluster form, landing in the center of an alleyway where a small windmill was inserted all the way across the small island. Chaos snapped his fingers as the Chaos Prison appeared in front of him, with the frozen shield creator within it. Tikal came out of Chaos' body once again, looking over the body with great interest. The chao guardian felt out the energies once again and realized he went far away enough that he couldn't feel either one of them-this was the perfect time to inspect the body.

"Let's see...it looked like all of the other guys we were fighting, and they said 'We are Nebula'," Tikal recalled. "The first guy we fought could conduct his aura through his special chakrams, the second could concentrate his energy for powerful physical attacks, and the one we have here could create indestructible shields and control them telekinetically."

"They all share the same eyes, same purple markings, and same fur," Chaos added. "But besides, they could all be different species-that's how little they looked like each other."

"So are you saying those people aren't Nebula?" Tikal wondered.

"They aren't-at least not physically," Chaos said. "Nebula was a god way before I was, and mastered the element of chaos far before my time, and so he probably the most powerful, most ancient chaos techniques. Unfortunately, this may be one of them."

"Like a possession technique," Tikal guessed.

"I think it may be more advanced than that," Chaos sighed. "Unfortunately, Nebula probably has techniques beyond just mere possession. Besides, if they were possessed we would have sensed the energies of Nebula and the people's energies. We can only sense Nebula's. He said he escaped the seal, but he didn't break it. I don't know how that would work though."

"So then, how are these other bodies 'Nebula' as well?" Tikal wondered. "You said they have the same aura as the Nebula you remember."

"I don't know, I really don't know," Chaos admitted. "Even so, I have to defeat all three of these people that call themselves Nebula here and now. His numbers don't change anything, I can't let his plans with the Chaos Cores go on any longer."

"Look," Tikal said as the Chaos Prison slowly turned scarlet. "If you want to get the jump on them, it's best we get away from this guy. His powerful aura is breaking through your technique, and the last time we saw him it somehow alerted his buddies too."

"I'll take care of that," Chaos said, whisking the Shield Nebula away in a Chaos Control. "I think I may have to unleash my true form here. They seem to have underestimate how far away I've truly gone, so I hope I'll have enough time to charge the attack up."

"Do you want me to guard your body?" Tikal wondered. "I have been working on the temporary tangibility, and I can keep it long enough to help you out."

"Save that for when we go after them," Chaos advised, summoning a small blue light to his fingertip. "This holds the memories of what happened between me, Nebula, and the other gods so long ago that caused all of this."

"Are you sure you me to see these?" Tikal wondered. "I know how hard things were for you back then, when the only thing that kept you secure was the safety of myself and the chao at the shrine."

"No...it is my fault in the first place. You have stuck by me all of these years and I have left you without the knowledge of what led up to this madness in the first place. Maybe you can see things different from a god such as myself, and stop this terrible cycle from repeating," Chaos requested.

The chao guardian walked over to Tikal and lifted his hand up slowly before pressing his fingertip to Tikal's forehead gently. The moment the Chaos Recall touched her head, the glow dispersed into her brain. In that moment, the world went white and her eyes glowed in the same shine, though she was already in another place, seeing things that she never saw, and experiencing memories that did not belong to her. The God of Destruction sat down on the ground of the alleyway, his eyes bathed in a jade glow as he called upon powers buried deep inside him that had not been released for thousands of years.

_The peach furred echidna princess found herself floating peacefully over a scene that could only be described as breathtaking. Tall mountains of all kinds, some which were had caps of snow, some which ended in daring peaks, and some which had no caps, lava flowing out peacefully from their tops. Large, vibrant jungles and forests covered the landscape, as well as large, expansive deserts blanketing over great areas. Fish of all sizes and shapes leaped out of the clear, cerulean water, with great cliffs peaking over them._

_Above it all floated Angel Island-the home to the Chaos Emeralds, the Master Emerald, and the Knuckles Clan, which was covered in deep forests with massive cities and temples poking out from the tops, as well as many ice capped mountains. On the earth below it, scattered villages and small civilizations laid about, their people moving among the nature as they existed in harmony. Across an ocean was the mighty Nocturne, the home of the Nocturnus Clan-their massive empire made of obsidian shade buildings, gears, and pathways expanding over a massive valley, which was still full of undisturbed nature. _

_The Darkness Colony resided not too far away, the nocturnal bats and insects that made it up moving to and fro from a large crevice and that abyss within. Halfway across the world, large stone towers rose from the sea not too far from land, home to the Aquatic Tribe. And finally the Adabat rose their homes out the jungle's canopy, supported by rock and overlooking some of the most magnificent waterfalls in the world, home to both man and anthro._

_The familiar world that Tikal viewed defied something that was considered impossible in the modern world she also knew-the idea that man and anthro could coexist so closely to nature. There were harsh areas, but all it seemed to be in an unusual harmony, almost perfectly peaceful. The echidna couldn't but smile blissfully at it all, forgetting about the dangerous situation she was currently in back in true reality._

_**As you remember, this is how the world once was. It wasn't perfect, as the world was still developing and there were many, many strange creatures that the early civilizations of man and anthro had to deal with. But nature and technology coexisted in perfect harmony, even surviving on each other, and there was no war. War was necessary, and a terrible one unfolded that allowed such a peaceful world to form, but the peace quickly followed it. Chosen by the enigmatic figure even to us that molded the world in its early stage were the gods who he used as extensions of himself where could not mold so directly, only intervening when necessary.**_

_At the shrine of the Master Emerald on Angel Island, appearing no different from the very days before it was destroyed, a small Light Chaos Chao stood on the bridge before the shrine as a golden light covered the area, blinding out everything else. All sorts of shining figures of all sizes and shapes appeared before the Light Chaos Chao, only sharing the same glowing golden markings that washed over their bodies. The Gods of Earth, the Extensions of the Enigmatic One, surrounded the chao before a massive golden light shined down upon it._

_When the chao emerged from the golden light, it was no longer a chao. A soft, golden brain sat within a body made of liquefied chaos, with large claws at the end of long arms, large amphibious feet, two lock like shapes coming out of its head, and glowing golden eyes, along with glowing golden markings spread across its entire body. It had about the height of an average human, and twice the bulk. Chaos, the guardian god of chao, and the infamous God of Destruction was born._

_**The Enigmatic One chose many of the world, of all kinds to be one of his gods, and little did I know in my peaceful life as a chao, living quaintly at the Angel Island Shrine that I would be one of them.**_

_A flash transported Tikal to countless years later, where a massive creature tore down many buildings of the Adabat, destroying everything in its wake. It had massive claws at the end of four, strong legs, and a long, whip like tail that cut through everything in its path. A large maw sat below two sharp white eyes and massive golden horns. Golden armor covered the creature's most vital parts while the rest of its body was a shining jade. People screamed and ran at the sight of the creature, until two golden flashes gave way to two familiar gods._

"_What is this? It feels like a Chaos Emerald, only much colder," a familiar voice said, belonging to an anthro looking being with orange fur, large gold pupils and red around the edges, and elegant, swirling golden markings running across his cheeks, then his quills, and finally the rest of his body. "It is illogical."_

"_A lot of things do not make sense in this orderly yet chaotic world of ours, Nebula, my friend," Chaos smiled, "Now, let's make this short. Chaos Beam!"_

_The God of Destruction held out his hand, unleashing a thin white beam. While it looked as if it would do little damage, upon impact with the massive jade colored beast every piece of golden armor ripped off of the beast in a massive burst of white before the brunt of the attack blew a massive hole in the chest of the beast as it reared back. The moment it did that Nebula suddenly flashed into existence in the very center of the hole, letting loose with the second technique that survived to the modern era. _

_The Chaos Blast let loose a spheric explosion of crimson that spread out for five city blocks in every direction, instantly vaporizing the beast while all of the people were far out of range, having retreated in pure panic. As Nebula landed he held a mysterious clear sphere coated with golden at the ends and emerald shining brightly in the middle in his left hand, appearing in front of Chaos almost instantly._

"_This was located within the beast's center," Nebula stated. None of our attacks had any effect on this, though we did destroy the beast."_

"_That creature...it was nothing like the other mysterious creatures that haunt this land from times before our own," Chaos realized. "And to have this object inside it...even I can feel that it rivals the power of a Chaos Emerald."_

"_There could be others," Nebula said. "Are these gifts from the Enigmatic One?"_

"_We have to obtain them before they fall into the wrong hands," Chaos decided, "as we do not need a repeat of the war that came before me. This peace is fragile, and we cannot let it be destroyed friend."_

"_Then let's go, my friend," Nebula said, snapping his fingers as both gods disappeared in flashes of golden light."_

_Tikal then floated away from the ruins of the fight, a flash of light transporting her above the beautiful regions she saw from before, but the scene was much different. Volcano ash spewed into the air while the sky was a blood red, signaling the terrible destruction occurring below. Fires littered the forests and blood ran in the roads of the villages and the streets of the larger clans and tribes. Tears began to fall from Tikal's face as her own memories of what had happened became even more clear, aided by the horrible scenes that she began to witness._

_**The gods had found more of the Chaos Cores, four spread out among them. But as we know Tikal, there are five. The fifth fell in the hands of the Nocturnus. Ix was no stranger to the Chaos Cores, or other powers far more ancient than those as he had ruled the Nocturnus for longer than anyone could remember. That was when some humans, but especially anthros learned to truly harness chaos energy, bending time and space to their liking.**_

"_For how long, have you people of Nocturnus began to realize that the gods have been manipulating us, not just interfering when necessary?" Ix called out as his people gathered outside in the streets, hearing his booming voice all over Nocturne spreading out from the roof of his palace which he stood on. "I have seen it through this Chaos Core. We have learned to harness the same powers that the gods have, and now they are similar to worn out shackles, needing to break as they only serve to slow down the inevitable."_

"_Yeah!" the people of Nocturnus cheered, listening to their Imperator's voice as he slammed the end of his staff into the ground, a massive turquoise aura flaring around him._

"_We shall no longer be oppressed, and we will not wait for the other foolish humans and anthros to realize it," Pir'Oth Ix stated. "With the powers we have finally controlled and this Chaos Core in our hands, we will liberate ourselves and become free!"_

_The people cheered out, heralding the will and the force of Nocturne as their armored men flew through the blood red skies on their wings and massive ships, starting their own personal conflict with the gods that would only grow more cataclysmic._

_**And so began the God War. The Enigmatic One always planned for the people to truly harness the energies of unstable chaos that made the vibrant world what it was, full of unpredictability, but with such power was the possibility of the darkness in these people's hearts growing. Despite his calls none of us gods were able to decipher his warnings, and so they hunted us, each other, and anything that stood in the path of gaining power from each other.**_

"_It is every bit as horrible as I remember..." Tikal cried, tears of grief falling from her face as she recalled every moment of the end of peace in that era._

_**It was. The only thing that kept me going as we tried to control the humans and anthros to no avail while they killed each other and hunted us down to the edges of the earth was the hope that you, my greatest companion, and the chao I cared for so much would be alright. If only we had listened to the Enigmatic One...none of that would have had to happen. Or so we thought. Even while all of this chaos happened, the one who worked through us was thinking far beyond the current havoc of the world.**_

_**The first of god to be killed was Aelogun, the God of Sky and Winds. Ix had mastered his powers greatly, and used his countless airships to blow the god out of his own domain before taking him down himself, destroying him with some of the very energies he had mastered in a deliberate show of irony which only started the mighty Imperator's descent.**_

_Aelogun fell out of the sky, golden marking of energy covering his body, which seemed to be almost completely made out of heavily compacted winds. Ix grabbed onto the long, gold wind wings on his back as the two fell through the air, black Nocturnus armor making a set of a harnessed wings on his back. The echidna ripped off the God of Winds' wings, causing him to shriek out as he unleashed a powerful chaos-infused whirlwind with the last of his strength, though Ix summoned a turquoise barrier which effectively guarded him before he sent streams of data down at Aelogun._

_The God of the Sky became restricted by the attacks before he was simultaneously blasted by powerful bursts of blue energy from the cannon of the airships, causing him to descend at a rapid rate while he desperately attempted to regenerate himself. But Ix was ready, dealing the first casualty to the side of the gods as he unleashed a Power Blast. The green energy current that shot out from his scepter split the air itself as it cut through Aelogun, obliterating him instantly in an explosion of green energy that shook the sky._

_As his dying wish, Aelogun cursed the sky, so that as long as the cursed war lasted the sky would remain blood red, reminding those below of the bloodshed they had caused, that they could never escape. His body then hit the ground below, creating a massive hurricane in his wake to signal the first death of a god._

_**The rest followed from there. The Adabat were destroyed as they attempted to prey on the smaller villages and nomads around them, and the Darkness Colony was killed by Crater, the God of Flames and Earth, only be destroyed by the Aquatic Tribe who was then ripped apart by Nebula and myself. The cycle continued, with the Gods stuck between the chaos, being hunted by all sides remaining, and that is when I realized it.**_

_Tikal stopped her crying, in shock at what was coming next._

_**This is what the Enigmatic One wanted. He knew this war was necessary, as it was the only way the people would learn on the dangers of their misuse of the power passed down to them. Knowing this, I went back to you and the chao and the Knuckles Clan, working to protect them from the ever growing power of the rivaling Nocturnus.**_

_**The final turn for us Gods was when the Chosen emerged, being conduits of the power of chaos energy on par with the gods despite the fact that they were free and they were completely human, destined to end this period of chaos that those like you and Shade had to live in with the finishing of the gods and the banishing of the unredeemable of the humans and anthros. Though Argus, the God of the Twilight Cage, saw that the Enigmatic One desired for the Gods to no longer reign over the humans and anthros in that way, trying to stay hidden and help the anthros when possible, the other gods saw this as betrayal, led by Nebula himself.**_

_**That was when the true fighting began. Chaos rocked the world like never seen before, blood falling everywhere with no end in sight. **_

_**It finally culminated when the leader of the Chosen, a supersonic anthro with an affinity for both light and darkness, Xavnu the Hedgehog, stepped forward to fight against Nebula. In the end neither could win, but I intervened and distracted Nebula long enough for Xavnu to use the Sacred Seal. **_

_The cave made completely of cyan crystal that opened up to the sky shook violently as the suddenly golden hedgehog slammed a pure burst of white into Nebula's back while the godly Chaos impaled Nebula with a cleaver wrapped in gold, water swirling around it as it cut into Nebula's chest. The god yelled out in agony as the Sacred Seal imprinted on his back in glowing white symbols of chaos energy that melded to his fur and the skin underneath._

_When the symbol finally stopped imprinting a massive sphere of binding light surrounded the God of Rebirth. Nebula cried out once more as Xavnu was blown back to the other end of the cave, the hedgehog covered in the blood of his injuries and those he inflicted to reach this point. Chaos was force to abandon his Tidal Cleaver as the sphere swallowed it up, the God of Rebirth's eyes glowing white as the Sacred Seal suppressed his very essence._

"_It didn't have to be this way. The Enigmatic One was not abandoning us. At one point you do have to stop resisting and just listen to the signs around you," Chaos said, looking sadly at his embittered former friend._

"_Maybe staying in that seal for so long will help you see that, huh?" Xavnu smirked, his familiarity to Sonic being clear as day._

"_You..." Nebula said before the sphere completely froze his body in time and space. "...I will never forget what this world and all of you damned people have done to me. I promise to never forget, I assure you of it."_

_And then a massive flash signaled the end for Nebula in that time, leaving the two heroes in the aftermath of the titanic fight._

_**With Nebula sealed within his own self, the other gods fell shortly after. Not even Redos, the God of Death or Solun, the God of Day and Night stood a chance against the might of the combined power of the smaller villages all over the world. This still left the Knuckles and Nocturnus Clans, but they both became power hungry, and you know the story of self-destruction that happened from there. **_

_**This world is much more stable now, but it may not remain that way for long. Nebula told me before he was sealed away that he would never forget, and I suppose that holds true now. Whatever he's planning will only amplify the damage already caused by the God War, and so we have to stop it at all costs. Failure is not an option for us, or world will fall to darkness again.**_

The Chakram Nebula, Combat Nebula, and Shield Nebula peered down the alleyway as Tikal noticed them, suddenly becoming tangible as Chaos' suddenly golden eyes shot through the shadows, the rest of his body beginning to glow as well as two portals opened by his sides, two unusual small but powerful figures emerged from the portals, ready for anything.

The true battle between the two gods had only begun.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so I think this chapter lives up to the hype. Newest record for longest chapter ever, BTW! We are actually halfway done with this story...and the ride only gets more insane from here! Please keep up with reviews, I really appreciate the feedback as I take this story in a whole new direction. Hang tight for the next update where we go back to the Chosen and Sonic!


	31. Destiny of the Chosen

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 31: Destiny of the Chosen

**Location: Coastal Valley**

The sun shined brightly above the private Coastal Valley, the entire area being owned by Rose Casino and being used as Gemini's private resort for only the most close and wealthy of the Rose hedgehog's associates for private gambling and luxurious bliss. The large, dark brown main mansion stood above the rest of the scenic resort, where the heroes now resided, a large valley overlooking the mansion which then overlooked another valley to went down into the shore, the entire area nested in between the cliffs.

The heroes now stayed at this mansion after Gemini realized that all of their enemies were able to attack them so easily because they were well familiar with Tails' Workshop. So in order to get the drop of Ragnarok, they kicked all of the partying tycoons out and reserved the entire area for the heroes, and without Tails there the workshop part was not needed. The Aeolus sat on the roof of the giant mansion, casting a long, sad shadow as if it could also feel the sorrow of losing it's master, with the fox's leftover Energy Cannon sitting on top of it ceremoniously.

"Sonic..." Amy said.

The pink hedgehog stood in the think of the meadow, the grass up to her ankles as she cupped her hands tightly within one another, fidgeting with anxiety. Below here Sonic stood at the edge off the grass. The soft, cool breeze tingled his fur as he stared out at the lapping waves of the sea with troubled jade eyes, clenching some of the soft grass in his hands. The cerulean hedgehog finally stopped staring out at the horizon in front of him and glanced back at his girlfriend, the trouble still refusing to escape his eyes.

"What is it, Ames?" the blue hedgehog asked.

"How long have you been out here, Sonic?" Amy wondered. "I'm worried about you. You've barely talked to anyone since we've returned from Industry City."

"Look, Amy-" Sonic began, standing up to his full height as he tossed some of the grass in his hands onto the ground and turning around to face her.

"No one has to go through this alone," Amy said, "I know how hard this for you. Even if GUN can find a way to rip his body out from the Global Network, we both know that could take a long time and you're going to have to cope without him until then."

"I'm okay with that Ames, I swear," Sonic promised. "I'm just thinking about a lot of stuff."

"Tell me," Amy requested, walking directly up to him. "Sharing your thoughts would help you more than you realize.

"Look, Ragnarok was out in Industry City, manipulating the entire affair. Tails is now digitized, as we both know, and I don't know what's happening to him. Plus, I've had to deal with Emerl's death all over again. I'm in this strange, unfamiliar place, and now we know Ragnarok is nowhere near done yet. Plus, I can feel that uncontrollable, cold, shocking power within me and it's growing much faster than I can suppress it. Every time I fight I feel it trying to manipulate me," Sonic explained. "Everything in the world seems to be working against me, and I have no answers or solutions. I don't know what to do anymore."

"Don't let the weight of the world fall on your shoulders," Amy said. "You have all of us to help you, to help you through this struggle, and to defeat Ragnarok. No matter what happens, no matter how impossible everything seems, if you let the friends bear the weight with you it will be that much easier."

"I don't want to be a burden though," Sonic replied, looking down at the swaying grass below him. "Everyone's counting on me to pull through for them, and I don't want to wish that on anyone. The adventures are great, but sometimes you can't help but think about what the consequences of failing are, you know?"

"I know what you're going through, but when you have friends who truly care for you, then they won't care what you're going through. They'll help take the burden off just because they can, because they truly care for you," Amy smiled, embracing her lover. "You already have those people here at Coastal Valley, who will help you because of how much they care."

"Thanks Amy," Sonic said, returning the embrace with a slight smile on his face. "I think I really did need that. I'll be okay, at least for now."

But suddenly Sonic felt an unusual presence and suddenly zipped across the meadow, putting Amy down before zipping back in an instant. The blue hedgehog watched as the daunting, unfamiliar anthro landed in front of him and without looking the blue hedgehog spun into a ball and launched at the figure in a Spin Dash. The anthro simply scoffed and pulled a large weapon off of his back, spinning it around by the handle before holding it in front of him to block the Spin Dash and repel Sonic. The azure hero landed softly and moved into a fighting position, staring down the new anthro.

Dark blue eyes glared at Sonic, the anthro having dark gray fur that blew in the wind. Two small fangs stuck out of the tanuki's obsidian colored muzzle, along with the same black color outlining the tanuki's eyes. The tanuki had his hair cut short, with some of his black hair going back in short spikes. Bandages covered the tanuki's arms, while he wore black boots and black fingerless gloves. The tanuki had a torn black coat, along with black stripes along his arms. The tanuki sheathed his large claymore, which was light gray and had bold yellow along the sharpest points in addition to a black hilt into a large black sheath on his back.

"You seem agitated," the tanuki said. "You didn't even check to see if you knew the person you were attacking, or if they were there to help you. Are you really that naive?"

"Someone's a bit cocky," Sonic smirked. "I would suggest you don't mess with me. So do yourself a favor and tell me who you are before I decide that I don't have any more patience."

"Name's Chrono. Chrono the Tanuki," Chrono explained as Amy watched in confusion, unsure what to think of this new development. "Me and my friends here were sent by Chaos to find you."

"Chaos? I actually haven't heard from him since before the attack on Empire City a month ago!" Sonic exclaimed. "Why did he send you people?"

"Because we all know you need the help, and because we have to train you. Things are afoot that you cannot understand, and until you do you will fail against Ragnarok," another one of the new group said, this one being a red salamander with dark blue stripes going across her body. She wore a light blue tank top and baggy black pants, and had yellow running shoes with red lines in them in addition to black gloves. "When Chaos makes a big deal about something like this, you know that it's serious."

"You got that right Phase!" another one of the group said, revealed to be Nack "Fang" the Sniper Weasel who was all too familiar to Sonic and Amy. "It's been a long time since we last fought, huh? But now that Eggman's gone and there's no more money on your head, I don't need to kill you, so you're okay with me."

"It's been too long," Sonic smirked. "You buddies gave us enough of a hard time to make up for your absence though."

"Aw, that's touching," Fang mocked, spinning his revolver in his hand before putting it away again. "Nice to know you missed me."

"He never shuts up," the last of the group said, this one being a pale blue ram with a dark gray muzzle, short green hair that only went down to the bottom of his neck, and had electrifying green eyes. He was the most well built out of the group, easily being the largest, and had a massive black weapon strapped to his back by bandages wrapped around his chest. He also wore a short black green vest, along with baggy green pants. "Anyhow, the name's Repul. Honestly, this isn't the place to talk about all of the stuff that is going to happen. Chrono, let's go inside."

"Good point Repul," Chrono nodded. "Can you show us the way to a quieter and less open place? At this point in time, who knows who else caught onto you having your current base here."

"Gemini will know a place," Amy said, "follow me!"

The group walked up to the mansion with Sonic and Chrono in the lead, and though these people clearly seemed to be allies, even Fang, Sonic had an uneasy feeling. Little did he know that the things he would learn would change the face of his destiny in war against Ragnarok forever as they walked through the small plaza in front of the tall mansion which was neatly under the side of a massive cliff that overlooked the private resort.

* * *

**Location: Coastal Mansion**

The heroes sat in one of the Gemini's in the mansion, lavish red furniture covering everything in the room. A large black rose was imprinted on one of the large dark brown walls, while a large chandelier hung above the room. All of the heroes sat around on the furniture while some stood up around the group, the four Chosen sitting down around the group. Sonic emerged from another room, sitting down a he tried to put his arm around Amy next to him, but Gemini suddenly squeezed in between the two, giving Sonic a cold glare before giving a warm smile to Amy.

"We're going to have to talk, and we're going to have to make this quick. Despite what you think, we do not have as much time as you would think," Chrono stated.

"Why were you with Chaos?" Amy asked. "He suddenly disappeared from us with Tikal right before Ragnarok attacked Empire City that first time, and we haven't heard from him since."

"He was searching out us, those known as the Chosen," Chrono explained. "The Chosen have been picked by a being Chaos never talked about much, who is far greater than the gods. The Chosen have been picked as the receivers of great power, who can access power from times before them in addition to being natural conduits of chaos energy, as if the chaos energy was a part of them."

"The Chosen have almost been forgotten, and only the gods remember their purpose, to become the protectors of humans and anthros when others could not," Repul stated. "With the gods almost nonexistent and the heroes spread thin, Chaos could see that their special talents were being needed and went to seek us out, training us to hone our talents for when we were needed."

"So, Chaos sent you to us to help us out?" Knuckles questioned.

"That was...part of it," Fang smirked.

"What do you mean?" Shade wondered.

"It's simple. Chaos left us to take care of a few things, then left with Tikal as he said that he had to figure out something within Ragnarok, no matter what. When he left he realized that he found out who the last Chosen was, cause he said there would be five," Phase explained. "He sent us after the final Chosen too."

"But there's four of you now," Silver said. "Could you not find the last one? Or were you waiting to come to us so you could find the last one?"

"In a stroke of luck, neither is the case," Repul elaborated. "The identity of the final Chosen according to Chaos would be in the path of reaching you guys, as they are one of you. Matter in fact, us Chosen can sense others just like us if we know who they are."

"So it's really one of us?" Tain questioned, Chrono nodded slowly.

"Who is it?" Sonic asked. "Because that person's going to need a lot of training to get up to the level that Chaos taught you."

"Funny you should ask," Chrono smirked, pointing directly at the azure hedgehog. "Because Chaos realized as he left us for the final time that you were the last Chosen."

"Whoa, me?!" Sonic exclaimed. "Why?"

"We wouldn't know, you damn idiot," Fang cackled madly. "None one knows why the Chosen are well, chosen. All we know is that once you're Chosen, you got a job to do. You were chosen specifically to protect the life on this planet when others will fail, after all."

"There are signs already. After all, you are born with the talents, it's just a matter of refining them," Repul told him. "For one, they usually have a high amount of chaos energy."

"It's true. Tails has always said he finds it amazing that you run out of energy so much slower than the people you're fighting," Knuckles recalled.

"Another sign is the flow of your energy, almost as if it's a part of you," Chrono stated. "It also seems much more brilliant and light."

"No doubt about that!" Sonic said, summoning a brilliant azure Sonic Wind to his hands before casting it away.

"And the final one, though not exactly the best, is the difficulty of controlling some aspects of your Chosen powers at times," Phase stated.

Sonic knew the feeling of that one all too well. The blue hedgehog closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the horrible things he did to those Ragnarok members when he lost control of that unusual form, which he nicknamed the Chaos form not only due to its overload of such energy from within him but from the great havoc he could cause in it. He also remembered the last few battles he participated in versus the Egg Dragoon Mk II, Emerl, Xi, and Neo Metal Sonic, and the feeling every time that he was on the verge of losing control again.

He didn't know how the training would go, but at the end of it he promised himself that at the end of this he would finally have the control he desired over his power once again, no matter what the cost. The blue hedgehog opened his eyes, thinking of how he doing this all again, being placed with a great destiny, but now so much more was at stake. He also promised himself that he wouldn't fail as he took it all in, finally accepting that no matter what the rules were he had a job to do, and that this Chosen business didn't change anything.

"I know how that feels," Sonic smirked. "But you guys can help me with that."

"We can, actually, and we should start training as soon as possible," Chrono told him. "When you're ready, I'll be by the beach past the meadow where you saw us at. It will be hard, and I won't hold back."

"I wouldn't want you to," Sonic retorted.

"Say, did Chaos say exactly what he was doing?" Luxi wondered. "I mean, if it was important enough that he's not training Sonic himself then it's gotta be a big deal."

"He didn't say anything to us," Repul answered. "He just said he had business to settle with Ragnarok and said he was going to deal a big blow to them. There was obviously more to it than that, as he didn't act so final when he was sabotaging the higher ranking Ragnarok agents activating more machines while you guys were busy with other stuff."

"Damn, that's actually really smart of Ragnarok!" Knuckles swore. "Anyhow, did he say what was so big in Ragnarok that he had to stop?"

"Nothing," Fang said bluntly. "He was all silent about it, though he couldn't hide it was big business. We weren't idiots."

Chrono stayed silent, keeping to himself. Thoughts of what happened before they left flickered through his mind, and he knew that he could not ignore the plain message he saw.

_The Sacred Oasis was a location of spectacle, nestled in between a massive, intricate rock formation in the great desert region of Shamar that spanned half a continent. Water flowed from underground, pouring into the beautiful white stone fountains and pooling in the middle, glistening with the natural nutrients of the earth. Great vegetation spread along the stone paths, causing the paradise to stick out among the barren sandy wasteland around it._

"_Your friends are waiting outside the oasis for you," Chaos said, watching as Chrono wrapped jugs of water around a belt on his waist. "Remember, his name is Sonic the Hedgehog."_

"_I'll remember. Trust me. I know it's highly important to remember him, but it's pretty obvious who he'll be once he gets with the group of heroes," Chrono assured. "He is a world famous hero, after all. I haven't failed yet, have I?"_

"_No, you haven't," Chaos said. "Just be careful. Things are starting that you cannot even imagine, things which will make what happened in the God War seem like nothing. I'm afraid the same suffering may start all over again, whether we can save this world or not."_

"_We will. You've trained us well and those heroes have already done a good job. Together, Ragnarok doesn't stand a chance," Chrono promised._

"_Take on last request from me," Chaos asked, the tanuki nodding without question. "Look into my future one more time. I don't want to know what it will hold, but I want you to know."_

_The tanuki concentrated, closing his eyes as he focused his chaos energy, channeling through him and aligning him to the forces which already know what will happen with the variables' values at that moment. Visions flashed through the tanuki's mind rapidly, his conscious taking it all in as the events revealed themselves to him. The tanuki panted slightly before looking at Chaos, who simply stared at him._

"_I will depart now," Chaos said, beginning to create a Chaos Control. "You know what to do."_

"_Same to you. Just watch out, okay?" Chrono wondered. "I know you change the future and all, but still..."_

"_Farewell, Chrono the Tanuki," Chaos said before he warped away in a flash of forest green, leaving the tanuki in the lonely oasis. The future could be changed, but at that point in time..._

_Chaos the God of Destruction was going to die._

The tanuki quickly walked out of the room, moving out onto one of the balconies before leaping over and landing the meadow in front of the mansion's plaza area. Despite all of the things he saw, he had to keep it out of his mind for now, and just hope that his master would be able to make it, for all of their sakes.

* * *

**Location: Coastal Valley**

The blue hedgehog walked down to the edge of the meadow as his red running shoes sank into shifting sands of the beach, his emerald eyes narrowed slightly as he completely focused on what was to come. Chrono stood at the edge of the beach, his claymore unsheathed and in his hand as he held it in front of him. Shining gray energy rippled around him, though it circled him tightly, as if the tanuki was holding back in a sense.

"Let's get to this training. I'm more than ready," Sonic said.

"The way I will teach you is the way Chaos taught me," Chrono explained. "Honestly, the great amount of energy is something you already have and you have partially mastered the way you can flow your chaos energy, such as how you give Super forms to others. It could use some work, but that comes from practice."

"So, that's means we're focusing on..." Sonic realized.

"Yes. We will work on helping you control all of the aspects of your powers while letting you learn through experience how to use that perfect flow of energy you have," Chrono stated.

"How are we gonna do that, some boring meditating sessions?" Sonic sneered. "Is that what you had me get all prepared for?"

"No," Chrono said, suddenly charging at the blue hedgehog with his claymore at his side, the blue hedgehog also charging with a Sonic Wind wrapped protectively around his arm. The two leaped up in the air, pushing their attacks off of each other before landing on opposite sides and skidding to a halt, "we're going to fight and I'm going to pound you into oblivion until you learn it!"

"Pound me?" Sonic laughed jokingly, launching at Chrono and dodging two swings of his claymore before attempting to unleash a Sonic Wind only for the attack to bounce harmlessly off of the Chosen's claymore. "I think I'm going to be the one doing the pounding in this!"

The two fighters then backed off and charged again, unleashing a shock wave of energy that shot out from the space in between their fists.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so now we know many of the mysteries of the Chosen as they come to help our heroes, and the possibility of an unfortunate fate for Chaos as he fights desperately against Nebula to stop the next war that is coming. Be sure to review before we head into the second part of this super revealing arc and then we move on into the stages before the massive war-it will be intense, so hang on tight!


	32. Falling Tide

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 32: Falling Tide

**Location: Apotos**

The Hero Chaos Chao and the Dark Chaos Chao emerged from the Chaos Control the chao guardian formed, the positively oriented having a purely angelic image while its counterpart looked to possibly only be the servant of demons. The two looked at Chao as his liquid body turned to a more brilliant blue while golden marking wrapped itself around his body, his eyes and brain glowing in the same golden color. A golden bone structure that only formed before when he absorbed the negative energies of the Chaos Emeralds began to form once again, shining from within him. The two chao looked at their summoner in awe at what Chaos had become.

"Why are you summoning upon your true Perfect form, Chaos?" Angel, the Hero Chaos Chao asked. "It's very taxing on you, especially since you poured all of that energy into the Sacred Seal so long ago."

"Better question is why he summoned us here. I was in the middle of eating some very good fruit, mind you. You should show some respect. You may be a god, but at one point you just a Light Chaos Chao, and we were much older than you!" Dark, the Dark Chaos Chao sneered.

"You two make me well aware of those facts," Chaos groaned. "But that's not the point now. I'm gonna need your help to deal with this. The whole world depends on it."

"The world has depended on way too many things," Dark snapped mischievously. "Honestly, I think the world can stuff it."

"Dark!" Angel scolded. "That's horrible! Chaos, what do you need our help with?"

"These three in front of me," Chaos said as the three Nebulas staring the group of four down, Tikal suddenly preparing a brilliant sparking sphere of pure violent light in her hands. "The Sacred Seal somehow failed, because these three somehow all claim to be the very same Nebula and that they somehow escaped the seal."

"The Sacred Seal is the most powerful sealing technique ever created. Matter in fact, the technique may be a gift from the Enigmatic One himself," Dark stated. "Maybe I'm underestimating the strength of god, especially one with strength and wisdom of Nebula, but I thought the technique was impossible to break. I didn't know escaping such a seal was possible."

"I did not realize it either," Chaos admitted. "It's illogical, but all three of these people seem to act like, have the energies of, and look at least somewhat like Nebula. I would know."

"You need our help to fight these guys?" Dark snickered. "You sure are much softer than you used to be."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing. It has allowed him to see the world through the creatures he's supposed to watch over," Angel argued. "Besides, we remember that Nebula was the leader of the gods that rebelled against the humans and anthros. I don't know what he's been doing since he got out, but he's got the jump on Chaos and his friend here."

"The name's Tikal," Tikal introduced herself before glaring at Nebula. "How could you do such a thing? I could understand your hatred, but you were given many chances to adapt to the new rules of the Enigmatic One and you did not do it out of a selfish need for power."

"A mere mortal such as yourself could never understand," the Shield Nebula said.

"The Enigmatic One is a terrible master," the Chakram Nebula stated. "He designed us gods with a purpose, and then abandoned that purpose. He did not respect the very rules he set down, and now he has locked himself in a deep slumber to leave this world in the chaotic state it stuck in."

"Is that all?" Chaos wondered as the two Chaos Chao latched on to his shoulders. "Do you plan to take over the position of the Enigmatic One?"

"Who would wish such a cruel fate upon one's self?" Shield Nebula laughed. "Having to take care of this wretched world, unable to mold it directly and then putting yourself into a deep slumber."

"I plan to do much more with this world," Combat Nebula said, his eyes bright as he looked out past the group of heroes in front of him, as if he could see his vision unfolding in front of him. "If only you could see the world I about to mold as Ragnarok is."

"Chaos Orb!" Chaos shouted, instantly forming a massive white and golden sphere into his hand before tossing it directly at the group of Nebulas.

The Shield Nebula suddenly leaped in front of its allies and summoned a massive shield from the ground, which the attack rolled off of in brilliant flashes of light. Tikal was suddenly behind the group, unleashing her Heavenly Justice attack with massive tendrils of lightning-like echidna magic which smashed into the shield with incredible power, pushing the Nebulas back slightly. But as the powerful attack finally faded the shield still held, until the Shield Nebula relinquished it so that the Combat Nebula could attack, smashing a chaos infused fist into the ground with such force that a massive earthquake rippled through the ground.

Chaos leaped high into the air past the buildings as they fell under him from the impact of the quake, Tikal floating up in the air towards him as her physical body flickered slightly. She then became intangible once again, floating inside Chaos and waiting until she could charge up another one of her powerful attacks. The God of Destruction landed in the street before shooting around and unleashing another Tidal Cascade.

The massive amount of water were suddenly upon the three and the Shield Nebula got ready to summon another barrier, but Chaos rode on the waves and bounded forward, reeling back a powerful fist and smacking the Shield Nebula with great force and knocking it through a massive building. The other two Nebulas moved to attack the guardian god, but he suddenly smashed his fists into the ground, sending massive torpedoes of water infused with chaos energy in all directions.

"Hydro Shrapnel!" Chaos bellowed.

The Combat Nebula flipped back out of range while the Chakram Nebula used his chakrams to destroy the torpedoes heading for him telekinetically-though neither Nebula was facing him. The Combat Nebula slammed his foot into the ground, sending a long fissure at the god. Chaos leaped over the fissure, only for the Combat Nebula to suddenly shoot at him, his fist reeled back. Chaos enlarged his arm, their fists colliding in the air before he manipulated his water to entrap the Combat Nebula's arm. As the two fighters landed the Combat Nebula smiled ever so slightly and deviously, reeling his arm back as his energy ripped the God's arm to shreds.

"You made a foolish mistake, my brethren," Combat Nebula stated before dropping low to the ground and then kicking off the ground and unleashing a powerful rotating kick.

"You did too, underestimating me like this!"

Chaos smirked and suddenly manipulated the rain, forming two massive drills of water before sending them directly at the orange furred god. The orange furred anthro lookalike managed to smash a powerful palm through the center of the first, annihilating it, but the second moved too fast and hit him dead in the center. The Combat Nebula grunted slightly as the drill smashed him through the side of a cake and then through a large marble fountain right before it fell on top of him.

"Now we're making progress," Chaos said, until the Chakram Nebula and the Shield Nebula emerged from the streets around him, both staring at him without any emotion and without blinking.

"They're persistent," Angel said. "If this were any other anthro in our time, they would be dead, especially if they weren't proficient in manipulating chaos energy."

"Hell, maybe these delusional idiots are all really Nebula," Dark replied. "I really don't know how it's possible, but anthros manipulating chaos energy to the likes of how Ix, Pachacamac, and Xavnu did was rare to come across and now here us old people are, placing the world's fate in people like them."

"Are you guys ready?" Chaos asked.

"Yeah, we got this!" Dark said, laughing slightly to himself.

Chakram Nebula rushed forward, leaping in the air before launching one of his chakrams forward with enough force to rip through the air in front of the God of Destruction its warpath towards him. Chaos narrowed his eyes and instantly formed a golden Chaos Orb in his hand before tossing it at the burning energy imbued chakram. Bursts of scarlet and golden energy rolled off of each other as the air suddenly heated up from the clash, but in a few seconds it was clear who won as the chakram ripped through the attack and headed for Chaos. The God of Destruction leaped into the air over the chakram, only for a large shield to magically form in the air above him and slam him down to the ground.

"That's all?" the Chakram Nebula asked, pointing the spike on one of the chakrams at his throat. "We used to be equals, but apparently as I ascended beyond my purpose, you remained the same. You are _nothing_ in the face of my presence now!"

"Hydro-Chaos Burst!" Chaos shouted.

In that instant, a burst of chaos infused water flew in all directions out from Chaos in a constant stream, blasting the shield up into the air while the Chakram Nebula was tossed back to the end of the roadway. The pure blasts of chaos infused water destroyed everything it touched, the massive pressure even distorting space in ripples of golden energy. Shield Nebula was knocked back into a wall before Angel was suddenly upon him, smashing a small fist covered in heavenly white chaos energy into his chest. Chakram Nebula suddenly put both chakrams in front of him as shields before Dark slammed into it within a Chao Meteor, dark purple energy blanketing his body as if it was the veil of demons. The clash between scarlet and dark vermilion was powerful but the ancient chao proved to win in the end, shattering both chakrams before tossing Chakram Nebula across the street.

Chaos attempted to take a breather, but suddenly moved to the side as Combat Nebula came down, his fist's energy cutting through the ground as if it is a piece of paper. The God of Destruction attempted to retaliate, only for Combat Nebula to plant his fist into a hand and snap his leg across Chaos' face with such force that he spun around in a daze as the scarlet energy burned into his liquid form. The God of Destruction barely managed to dodge a few more blows before a fist was planted directly in his stomach, sending him skidding across the street.

"Grand Chaos Orb!" the chao guardian called out, the small point of rotating golden and blue chaos energy in his hands expanding to over three times its original size, the massive blast looming over the Combat Nebula. The attack was sure to hit, but suddenly the Shield Nebula staggered to its feet, and without looking raised its hands, summoning a massive dome like barrier.

The impact was immensely powerful, ripping through the marble that made up the walkways and streets and repelling even the water and the winds. If it wasn't for the barrier the Combat Nebula would've been torn apart and reduced to a molecular level, but instead the barrier merely stood at the end, dispersing away as the Combat Nebula launched through the smoke, smashing Chaos directly in the stomach with a powerful burst of energy from his fist which sent the guardian god straight through the side of a building before crashing onto the roof of a building in the center of a massive complex of buildings.

"I could take any of them with minimal effort alone, but together they're a force to be reckoned with," Chaos said. "And I can't seem to split them apart. How could they take such damage, anyway?"

"Have you not figured it out yet?" Dark spat angrily, him and Angel warping onto his shoulders once again. "They share the same senses. That's how they were able to follow you to the alley through the eyes of the Shield Nebula, and that's how they were able to attack at your blind sides through the visions of the others."

"That's rude!" Angel scolded once again. "I didn't realize it either. Not everyone is as into killing people as you are."

"Whatever," Dark scoffed.

"If they can share the same senses, then they must have some sort of connection beyond the physical features. How did Nebula pull it off though?" Chaos wondered, thinking to himself before his eyes suddenly opened wide.

"What happened, Chaos?" Tikal wondered.

"It's impossible, but there's no mistaking it!" Chaos exclaimed. "When I saw Sonic those months ago before the Empire City attack at the workshop, they were watching a tournament where the runner up was able to telekinetically create indestructible energy shields. He was a bear that had green fur instead, he had no purple marks, and his eyes were blue. But the heavy size and the abilities are indistinguishable."

"But that's impossible! There's no way that this person could be Nebula then, especially if it's not possession," Angel countered.

"I know what I saw. Somehow, this person that went missing is now a part of Nebula, or whatever he's become," Chaos said. The three Nebulas landed on a roof farther down from the one Chaos was on, all three of them staring at him with their hypnotizing, almost menacing red eyes. "Either I have to find the truth to help out Sonic, or I have to end this here."

"Our combination attack?" Dark wondered.

"Yes, let's use our Combination Technique: Chao Hydro Rush!" Chaos called out, suddenly expanding his chest as the two chao came off of his shoulders and spun into rapidly rotating Chao Meteors right in front of him. The God of Destruction then let out what he was holding in his stomach, unleashing a massive blast of pressurized water that shot forward at speeds that would kill a person.

The moment it hit the two orbiting and rotating chao they launched forward like massive torpedoes, the water being pulled into their rotating orbit before they smashed into the building, unleashing a powerful blast of flooding water and rolling chaos energy from the chao that caused a such a flood that they enveloped the roofs in water before falling down and flooding up to at least halfway of their heights. As the waves of water aided by powerful bursts of chao energy came down upon the Nebulas the Shield Nebula jumped in front and readied itself to create a larger shield.

But then Tikal solidified high above the attack, holding up a Captive Light in her hands which blinded all three of the combatants. She then followed it up with a Wrath of Gaia attack which caused the earth itself to rise up from below the marble and pull the Shield Nebula down into its depths. With that Nebula out of the way the other two stood no chance, blocking helplessly as the bursts of chao energy smashed into them, leaving them no escape as they were completely enveloped in the blasts.

"Thank god that worked," Chaos heaved, sitting down on the roof for a moment as the golden lights on his body began to dim. "I don't have that much in me. You're a life saver, Tikal."

"I don't have anything left in me, either," Tikal panted, turning back into her orb form. "I won't be going tangible for a long time."

"I have finally righted my wrongs and have saved the world from a terrible threat," Chaos said. "If I could smile, I would. Ragnarok will still exist, but the heroes can take the rest out now that their leader is gone."

The God of Destruction looked up into the storming sky, noting that the rain was clearing. Soon enough, the dark clouds would part, too. The chao flew up from the water as they circled around Chaos, bickering playfully with each other as they knew they would all be all right. The God of Destruction thought about the God of Rebirth, hardly believing that he would ever feel that somehow calming, yet divine presence again...then he realized that the presence had not gone away, even in the slightest. The God of Destruction got to his feet and spun around, but it was already too late.

"You have truly underestimated me, _brother_," Combat Nebula hissed.

Red eyes met golden before the Combat Nebula slammed his mighty fist into Chaos, packed with enough energy to kill even the greatest of heroes instantly. Chaos shot off of the roofs, sailing through the air uncontrollably. The wind lashed out at him as the world spun and spun and spun before he smashed through a bridge, tumbled down a hill and finally landed on a pathway that hugged the coast of the small island tightly. Chaos grunted as he rose to his feet, finding the Chakram Nebula at the ready with both elegant chakrams charged up for yet another attack. The Combat Nebula also landed behind the Chakram Nebula in one bound, the ground almost buckling under him.

"That attack...I saw it hit you. There was no way you should have survived. Not a even a god could," Chaos said, in complete disbelief.

"Sorry to disappoint you, then," Combat Nebula laughed.

"My chakrams can be put together to create a much larger one. All I had to do was have both of us jump on one while I moved it telekinetically and move ahead of the wave to use them as cover," Chakram Nebula explained. "It's over. We can both tell that despite being a god you are very close to losing your form and after that you won't stand a chance."

"No..." Chaos muttered.

"If only you had seen things my way," Chakram Nebula sighed. "But of course, it is too late for you or this pathetic planet's inhabitants to right their wrongs. They should have done that over 4,000 years ago."

"What are we going to do?" Angel wondered, her, Tikal, and Dark warping to their comrade before the ghostly form of Tikal went inside Chaos' body. "I hate to be pessimistic, but they have plenty of fight left in them and we're at the end of our ropes."

"I know what I have to do," Chaos said, the golden marking on his body suddenly shining as bright as the sun. "I promised myself before I came here that I would end this fight, that I would work to create the peace that the blue hedgehog had been working so hard to create. And I intend to keep it. Please forgive me Tikal, for I have to use it now."

"What do you want us to do?" Dark asked, suddenly very serious.

"Run," was all Chaos said before he unleashed his final attack, "Hydro-Chaos Reckoning."

The two chao nodded before shooting up into the sky, going as far as they could away from the impact of the attack. And when they finally hit the clouds, they looked back down at what was happening. It was the very attack Chaos used to destroy the Knuckles Clan over 4,000 years ago. Waves and waves of water that looked to the height of skyscrapers suddenly formed from all sides of the island, being pulled towards Chaos like a pure golden magnet in the center. In instants the entire island was obliterated, all of it falling apart and a few remains sticking up through the waves.

In the aftermath a few larger buildings stuck up from the rest of the wreckage as the whole island was submerged by the attack. Chaos pulled himself to the top of the wreckage as he reduced to his normal form, the attack taking everything out of him. The sky began to clear as the chao came back down to meet him and Tikal. This time, it had to be over. Nothing could escape that attack, and with the Shield Nebula taken out of the equation they couldn't defend against it either. The terror of Nebula was over.

"Such an impressive technique. It was a shame I was sealed away when you did the deed, as it would have been a sight to see," Chakram Nebula said.

Behind the God of Destruction, the two combatants floated in a massive sphere that the Shield Nebula had created, having been freed from the Wrath of Gaia technique from the massive flooding that destroyed the island. The Shield Nebula then died off as the last of its energy faded from the barrier, falling back into the water as it sunk to its grave. The two Nebulas landed on the other end of the floating piece of wreckage as Chaos weakly got up, Tikal floating out of him and staring at him with great concern in her eyes.

"We're all out of energy," she stated. "What are we going to do now?"

"I've reached the end," Chaos said sadly as Tikal broke out into sobs. "I have used everything in my arsenal, and I have failed."

"So all we have done is in vain?" Tikal wondered. "Everything we have worked for...resulting in only our deaths."

"Our?" Chaos questioned, forming another orb of memories in his hand which he dispersed into Tikal's body. "No. You are going to go after the Chosen towards Sonic, and share with him not only this news but what he have learned here, and the memories of the God War. He has to know, or we are all dead."

"What will I do without you? After all of this time we have spent together...training the Chosen...fighter the higher levels of Ragnarok...slowly restoring the world from these threats..."

"You will go on," Chaos requested, opening a portal with the last ounce of chaos energy he could muster. "Now go. This will take you and the chao far enough away. They can go to the Sacred Chao Garden and you can go to Coastal Valley."

"I'll miss you," Tikal informed, tears dropping from her face and hitting the wreckage, and that's when she realized Chaos gave her his last gift, the gift of life. "Oh...oh god..."

"I will always be in you now, Tikal...but I'll still miss you too," Chaos promised as she reluctantly stepped through the portal with Angel and Dark at her side, feeling true tangibility for the first time in thousands of years. The portal closed behind her, leaving the God of Destruction alone with the two Nebulas.

"Clever," Chakram Nebula admitted. "I will not have the strength to go after her or even track her."

"I had hoped to stop Ragnarok here brother, but I am still okay," Chaos said.

"That is a shame," Combat Nebula said. "You will now have to place all of your hope in that blue hedgehog, now won't you?"

"Yes...yes, I will," Chaos said. "I know what your secret is now, but I suppose there's nothing I can do in the face of the God of Rebirth. And you're right...I will place my hope in him, like you, me, and the others should have done with the Chosen oh so long ago."

"It is futile, but I suppose I cannot change you now," Combat Nebula sighed, standing in front of him. "It will be short, my friend. I will mourn you, trust me."

"I'm ready," Chaos said, placing his mind in another place, with him and Tikal peacefully at the shrine with the chao prancing around happily, in a perfect peace.

And as his mind was destroyed, the God of Destruction couldn't feel it, his mind becoming white as he was taken to a different place, a better place, putting all of his hope in that blue hedgehog...hoping he would make things different like he had so many times before despite much larger odds. Even as Nebula stood over Chaos' destroyed body, looking up into the clearing sky as he mourned his former friend, he couldn't even begin to understand that power of hope, and Chaos knew that even from the beginning.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so there is the end of a god's true redemption, of a victory for both sides. Bet you didn't see that coming until the second half of the chapter. Next chapter we go back to the Chosen and their training and see the effects of this fatality for the good side before we wrap up this arc in the chapter after. Please drop a review by telling me what you think of this development, and hang tight for the final two chapters of this story changing arc!

PS: Thanks guys! 300 CHAPTERS W00T!


	33. What Lies Beneath

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 33: What Lies Beneath

**Location: Coastal Valley**

A massive gust of blue wind shot across the meadow, tearing through the breeze and the grass below it in its wake. Chrono simply smirked and leaped over it, but Sonic rushed up into the air to meet him, a Sonic Storm swirling in his grasp as ribbons of blue wind trailed behind his rushing form. Chrono's eyes suddenly glowed as he smacked Sonic's hand down to throw him off balance before pushing himself behind him and slicing straight across Sonic's back with his claymore. The azure anthro cried out as he was tossed to the ground, his blood staining the grass as he rolled to the side to avoid a powerful smash from Chrono's claymore.

"How on earth did you catch my attack like that? I was almost at Mach 1!" Sonic exclaimed.

"I don't think you should worry about that," Chrono said, rushing towards Sonic as his claymore tore up the ground. "Let your guard down and you'll be annihilated!"

Sonic tensed up his legs, suddenly zipping around to the tanuki's backside in an instant, unleashing a kick to his back. The tanuki staggered forward before swinging his claymore back around, only for Sonic to leap over the attack and slam his leg into Chrono's head, causing it to snap down instantly. The tanuki fell to his knees, but suddenly looked up with a bright glow in his eyes. Suddenly ripples in the world launched out from Chrono, causing everything in it to slow down to a crawl, from the breeze from Sonic's blow tingling him slowly to the dust shooting up from the ground left from Sonic's hop.

The blue hedgehog looked down as Chrono launched up towards him, moving at normal speeds despite the crawl of the world around him. The moment he was in front of Sonic the world returned to normal, just before the tanuki sliced him across the stomach with his claymore. The blue hedgehog skidded back as Chrono charged at his side, attempting to unleash a super fast blow as unusual ripples released themselves from his body, but the azure anthro simply unleashed a Sonic Tornado, the powerful cyan cyclone tossing the tanuki into a rock jutting up from the ground. Chrono crashed through it in an instant impact, letting out a small grunt as he fell upon the ground.

"That's all you've got?" Sonic taunted. "We've been at it for four hours and I'm still ten times better than you!"

"Someone's overconfident. I am going easy on you," Chrono laughed, unimpressed.

"Really? Then show me what you really got!" Sonic demanded, charging up a Sonic Wind.

"I don't think I will. I'm not going to waste my time. This about endurance, not about pure strength," Chrono sneered.

"Wait, Chrono," Sonic said, suddenly speaking in a quieter tone. "Your nose..."

That was when Chrono touched his finger to his nostril only to find a crimson stain left behind-his nose was bleeding profusely. The tanuki's eyes suddenly shined for a moment as the images of his prediction flickered through his mind, coming true before his eyes. The tanuki fell to his knees as he snapped back into reality, allowing a few tears to fall as his blood dripped onto the soft grass below him. The tanuki got back up slowly as he wiped his nose, Sonic relinquishing his attack as the tanuki clutched his claymore, sheathing it suddenly.

"Are you okay?" Sonic asked.

"I'm fine, just a side effect," Chrono shrugged, suddenly walking away from the hedgehog.

"Wait, where are you going? My training isn't over!" Sonic said.

"It isn't; I'm just gonna take a back seat for now," Chrono replied, sitting on a small rock. "You're going to train with your old buddy.

"Wait, who?" Sonic wondered before he realized who he meant as the weasel/wolf hybrid walked down the meadow towards Sonic. "Oh, not him again!"

"Nice seeing you too, speedy!" Fang grinned, suddenly pulling out both of his pistols in the blink of an eye. "If you can barely take Chrono when he's at half, you can't take me buddy!"

"We'll see about that," Sonic said.

_I can't believe it,_ Chrono thought as he looked at the two Chosen fighting. _What I saw came true. Chaos is really dead._

The blue hedgehog launched a Sonic Wind at him, but the sniper simply bounced off of his tail like a spring, launching higher up into the air. Sonic looked up at him, but he was a small speck against the backdrop of the stormy clouds above him and the blue hedgehog did not want to risk getting too close and being finished instantly. The weasel aimed both pistols at him and unleashed a powerful burst of bullets, which Sonic barely dodged in time. The blue blur rolled across the ground as the bullets impacted the ground, kicking up trails of smoke in their wake.

"I'm not done yet, hedgehog!" Fang said as he descended, suddenly putting both of his pistols together and clicking barrels before folding the trigger on the first to lock them together.

The weasel aimed the rifle before pulling the trigger, unleashing an instant spray of hailing bullets. Sonic quickly morphed into his spinning ball form, swerving around each shot at a supersonic speed before he kicked off of the ground and launched himself towards his opponent in a violent streak, blue ribbons trailing behind him. Fang suddenly laughed and fired another burst of shots, but Sonic suddenly faded into an afterimage before appearing behind Fang.

"Sonic Tornado!" Sonic bellowed, unleashing the massive azure cyclone at his opponent.

"Not so fast!" Fang called out, spinning around to face the attack as he lined his gun up with Sonic's chest. "Reaper's Shot!"

The world seemed to go still as a thin, but bright purple line cut through air, slamming into Sonic at full speed. The cerulean furred anthro hit the ground almost instantly, a crater forming from his impact as a great cloud of dust rose up from it. Fang landed on his tail before stepping down on his feet, separating his rifle into the two pistols once again as he aimed them at the center of the crater as he stayed focus on his opponent. A shadow within the dust cloud was visible but Fang chose to wait-he wanted to make sure that he could see the blue fur before he fired.

"Do you think that your perfect perception abilities are enough to exhaust him?" Chrono asked.

"It has to be. He learned from Shadow's training how to use his energy to partially absorb fatal attacks, so hopefully he's as good as you say he is so I accidentally didn't kill him," Fang smirked, but then Sonic stood up, determined not to fall yet. "Yeah, I think he's at his limit."

_Fang's right!_ Sonic thought to himself in a panic as his right eye turned a fuchsia shade. _I used up all of my energy...I can't hold that sinister power back!_

Right after the blue hedgehog said that, his other eye turned fuchsia, right before navy energy expelled from his body and shrouded the area. A chill crept up Chrono's spine as he unsheathed his weapon, coming to Fang's side as the two prepared to face down the new Sonic. Chrono remembered as Chaos told him of a Chosen who came before them, one who had to face a power which was far different from the light he had. He called his form the epitome of absolute darkness, and was as foreboding as a lonely, cold dusk.

This was no different. Indigo fur covered Sonic's body as the midnight blue energy poured from his body, obscuring the light it went over. Cerulean markings swirled around his body in brilliant pattens while his muzzle turned into a pale gray one, and piercing vermilion eyes stared deep down into their souls. Dusk Sonic's lips curled into a snarl as the energy concentrated around him in a violent aura, his fur standing on end from the force.

"Will Sonic really be able to fight all of this back?" Fang wondered. "Sure sucks to be him."

"The blue hedgehog will have to dig deep inside himself, and merge with this power to bring it under control like he did with his Super form so long ago," Chrono said. "Until he can do that, we're just going to have to hope we can keep Sonic under control."

"Great plan," Fang said, "especially since we should make sure we can keep this on a low profile. Those other guys would probably freak."

But it was too late for that. On one of the cliffs overlooking the long meadow Blaze, Amy, and Knuckles saw everything. They watched as the new Sonic emerged from the crater, glaring down all of his enemies. Seeing the danger presented the three decided to aid the Chosen, skidding down the cliff before they raced across the grass and behind Chrono. Sonic glared at the three as his energy flared up, and though Amy was taken back Blaze could see that look-they were all just targets of his destruction.

"What's happening to him?" Amy wondered. "It's like before, but now he's not just lethally attacking."

"He doesn't recognize friend or foe," Blaze realized. "Anything that moves is an enemy to him.'

"This is none of your business," Chrono said. "Me and Fang can take care of this."

"Look, I know you're not used to working with anyone else besides Chaos, and now that's he gone now and your group is going through so many changes that its taking a toll," Knuckles explained. "But you can't do this alone. We have to work together, and maybe that will help to fill your void, I dunno."

"I suppose," Chrono said half heartedly, "it was no use trying to hide what we going to do."

"Was this some sort of training exercise?" Amy asked.

"It still is. If Sonic can't fight against that power when he has no energy than he would end up pulling that thing out. If he can control it than he'll be powerful enough to face the Lord of Ragnarok," Fang added.

"The Lord of Ragnarok? Is that who's behind all of this?" Blaze wondered.

"That's a story for another time," Chrono said. "You're mostly right, according to what my prediction said about him through Chaos."

"You're a manipulator of time, then," Blaze guessed.

"That's him!" Fang responded, loading new magazines into his pistols with extraordinary speed.

"The Dusk form..." Knuckles said. "Not many have had enough control over the light to also unleash the darkness opposite that in such a way though it is mentioned in the Mystic Ruins. But apparently, Sonic has it, too."

"How can Sonic learn to control it?" Amy said, obviously highly concerned. "Do we just have to beat it?"

"Until Sonic confronts his Dusk side like he did his Super, then this Dusk form is the current controller of Sonic's soul and body," Chrono stated. "We can try to keep Dusk Sonic under control while Sonic confronts it."

"How can we help him?" Amy asked, trying to avoid the harsh gaze of Sonic's alternate form.

"Unfortunately, Sonic will have to face him alone against the odds. We'll have to wait and just hope if he'll have the will to overcome what he will face within his own soul," Chrono sighed. "If there was any other choice, I would tell you."

"Oh..." Amy said, absorbing the information before summoning her trusty Piko Piko Hammer to defend herself.

"I have one!"

The heroes looked up to find a violet black and white vortex whirling in the air above the meadow, a Ragnarok member dropping from it and landing behind Blaze. The heroes swung around to face her, all of them preparing for battle. The Ragnarok agent removed her hood and revealed herself to be Sol, the ivory white dove laughing sickly to herself as she activated her Solar Orbit technique, a protective sphere of pure white flames surrounding her and instantly incinerating everything around her.

"Miss me?" she said, her cloak flapping violently in the center of the white flames. "It's been a while, even before that Egghead attacked and we were back at Rail Canyon! I don't recognize any of you though."

"We don't need to deal with you now!" Fang moaned, keeping one gun steady on each target. "What do you want, anyway?"

"Him," Sol said. "If we can kill the last Chosen now, you heroes will probably lose the war with your numbers so spread, and our Lord wasn't particularly too fond of those who could wield the Dusk form, especially _that_ Chosen."

"We should have expected this," Chrono sighed.

"I'll take care of her," Blaze said, turning to face her as scarlet flames wrapped around her arms in deadly ribbons. "You guys focus on Sonic, this girl is nothing."

"Wouldn't it be weird to have two fire users who are resistant to fire fight each other?" Amy wondered.

"Well, my flames are the flames of the power of Sol from my dimension, and her flames are just really, really hot," Blaze said. "I can still do this."

The heroes were reluctant to let Blaze fight by herself but then Sonic let out a pure, animal like growl, causing all the rest of the heroes to turn towards him. Fang cocked his gun and Sonic suddenly shot at him as a massive streak of ebony trailed behind him-the fight had begun.

"Give me all you got, you pampered bitch!" Sol screamed, forming whips of pure white flames out of her Solar Orbit.

"Someone's analytical, despite their reckless outlook," Blaze smirked, suddenly forming two Fire Claws before lunging at her opponent. "Let's end this quickly!"

The two fighters sailed at each other, unleashing a barrage of blows which evenly matched up with the other ones before the two pushed off of each other. Blaze skidded across the ground before pushing off and spinning towards the dove ballet style in a Blazing Tornado, but Sol simply activated her Solar Orbit technique, which forced Blaze to slam her leg into the ground and push off of the flames it created to avoid the massive rotational barrier. As she landed on the other side the cat suddenly cried out-a large jet of white flames slammed into her back and sent her flying to the other side of the meadow as grass flew in the air all around her.

"You're weak," Sol grinned, forming her whips again as she snapped them at the cat, but she suddenly rolled to the side before unleashing a Fireball. The dove relinquished her attack and attempted to use another Solar Orbit, but by the time that happened the Fireball slammed her in the chest, causing her to cry out as she fell upon the ground.

"That's a bit hypocritical!" Blaze retorted before shooting forward, pushing off of the ground with her hand, whirling around, and slamming her leg into Sol's gust, causing her to cough up blood as she was tossed into the side of one of the cliffs overlooking the area. "How come Ragnarok let a nut case like you join them anyway?"

"Because I've seen the dark side of this world," Sol said, suddenly as quiet as a mouse before she unleashed another Solar Orbit. "And I know that I had to aid anyone who was willing the destroy it all!"

The dove launched forward as a stream of white flames propelled her before she descended at the cat, unleashing a flamethrower from her hand at Blaze. The cat jumped to the side as kicked off of the ground to dodge her attack before unleashing a kick, but Sol pushed it away before grabbing her ankle and tossing her into the ground. Blaze coughed up blood herself, being left helpless as the Ragnarok agent leaped up into the air and unleashed a meteor like construct of white flames that burst on impact, making Blaze feel as if her body was on fire.

Though a small veil of fire protected her body from being burned, the heat from it sapped the energy right out of her and made her feel as if she being incinerated alive on the surface of the sun. Smoke burst away from the impact as Sol landed, summoning another Solar Orbit to charge up more of her abilities. The dove looked down into the smoke confidently, but that was her mistake. The cat reached and yanked her hair, pulling her down before slamming a Fireball point blank into her stomach. The dove was knocked high into the air, but by the time she looked up Blaze was there, unleashing her new attack.

Flames of a super hot scarlet surrounded Blaze, as her eyes turned the same color. The light from it blanketed out the darkness of the wind left behind from Dusk Sonic, and as Sol looked up at the massive attack it was already too late. The Halo Flare slammed into Sol before Blaze kicked Sol at the impact, causing a massive burst of flames that cover the whole sky for a moment before small embers fell down, burning the grass as Sol was slammed into the side of the cliff. The entire rocky structure fell out after that, collapsing upon the Ragnarok female as Blaze landed on the ground, panting from the exhaustion of using her new attack.

"I haven't learned how to properly control that technique," Blaze told herself. "It takes too much out of me even now."

The cat looked towards the fight going on on the other end of the meadow. The four heroes traded blows with the enraged, power hungry Dusk Sonic. The heroes were covered in wounds but were still unleashing their most powerful techniques to slow him down-they could take care of him until he was able to confront his Dusk form, however that would turn out. The cat hoped the Sonic would win his inner conflict, because if he didn't he would have more problems than that on his hands.

_The azure hedgehog walked about in the depths of his soul, which was fittingly a long region full of green hills of all sizes, slopes, and elevations, a paradise for one who lives for the rush such as himself. The sky above was a pure black with blue spread out about it, being the shell which his soul was contained within. The blue hedgehog had been here before, and everything seemed mostly normal. Even the few trees that were about were glistening with a strange cyan, reflecting his will._

"_I really have no idea what to do," Sonic said, stopping for a moment. "Everything looks the same. I can hear what Chrono was saying as he fought that 'Dusk' form or whatever, but I really thought it would come to me. This is SO annoying."_

_The azure anthro tapped his foot impatiently, looking up the sky that was his soul's shell, before looking over the hills and seeing a faint golden light. That was when it clicked with him. The blue hedgehog snapped his fingers before rushing over the hill in an instant, the grass blowing wildly behind him as he raced towards the glow coming close and closer at a faster and faster speed. Finally the blue hedgehog stopped in front of another aspect of his soul._

"_Help...help...help me..."_

_This aspect had the rough form of a pure golden hedgehog much like Sonic, but being completely made out energy, and not wearing any rings, gloves, or running shoes, and having pure white eyes._ _The aspect of Sonic's soul however was chained down to the ground by shackles of black energy, which burned Super Sonic's wrists as he struggled against them persistently and with unwavering determination. Sonic looked in shock, kneeling down to Super Sonic's level as he stopped struggling for just a moment, staring into his master's eyes._

"_What happened to you?" Sonic asked. "How did you get like this?"_

"_He did it to me," Super Sonic stated. "That other thing that I've been holding off for so long."_

"_The Dusk form, you mean," Sonic guessed, the aspect nodding._

"_I have been trying to hold him back, keep him down as you grew stronger and stronger and he did as well. Your soul has been a turbulent place," Super Sonic continued. "But your mental trauma...from that armadillo's death to the squirrel's death, to losing that fox...he fed on that negative energy, and I could not hold it back."_

"_No wonder all I can feel is his energy when I lose mine," Sonic realized._

"_Yes. With me out of the picture, you could not possibly hold him back as he gained more strength in your soul," Super Sonic concluded. "Now here we are, as he has finally taken over."_

"_How do I control him?" Sonic wondered. "I need to know. I'm going to need this power if I'm going to face Ragnarok."_

"_You have to face him, and you have to be incorruptible," Super Sonic instructed. "If you can face the darkness and overcome it without being corrupted, then you will gain control over the Dusk form forever. But if you don't..."_

_Sonic looked over the crackling horizon as the darkness spread across the shell, blotting out the blue on it as vermilion lightning shot down from it and carved into the hills that was Sonic's soul. _

"_...then your essence will be corrupted and destroyed, which will leave him to use your body as a vessel of darkness...now go!"_

_The azure anthro did not have to be told twice, cutting the black shackles before racing across the hills at a blinding of the likes which he has rarely gone before, passing the speed of sound as the Sonic Boom carried him past the hills, to a scorched, hellish wasteland where his essence would truly be tested. The blue hedgehog skidded to a halt as the ink colored darkness spread through the barren ground like an infection, a dark figure at the center of it all. Pure white eyes stared into Sonic's very core while hellish navy ripped off of him, degenerating into the darkness that spread out from him as he walked._

"_It's about time you showed up!" Dusk Sonic cackled. "Fighting when you were weak, all this time...it was getting boring!"_

"_Funny thing is that I remember that not all darkness was evil. Or at least that's what my old buddy Chip told me," Sonic said. "And you seem anything but good."_

"_You have done this to me, my friend..." Dusk Sonic said. "With your destiny slowly approaching and your life changing with all of these losses you have been unable to cope with a single damn THING! And it has corrupted ME. When you have great power, you cannot afford to be corrupted so easily by the things around you."_

"_I can take you on," Sonic said. "I won't be corrupted any more."_

"_We'll see," Dusk Sonic grinned, before sending his waves of blackness at Sonic, engulfing him in their darkness as they pounded upon him._

_The moment all light was extinguished and Sonic felt the touch, it felt as if his body suddenly turned to ice, and he was in a world devoid of life. Tears escaped the blue hedgehog's eyes as he recalled Chip falling into the magma, and saying goodbye to Shadow that first time. He then thought of Mighty, and Bark, and Ray, and Xi, and now Tails, and all of their cruel fates while he continued to go on in a world full of hate and murder, with the wight of the world on his shoulders._

_The blue hedgehog pushed the thoughts out of his mind for a moment, attempting to think of the thoughts of Knuckles and Amy once more. But then another thought entered his mind, this one being of him attacking his friends on the outside world as if he was a demon relying on instinct, and then the rest of the cold thoughts continued to flow. Navy began to flow over his fur and skin as his eyes began to flash a more vermilion color, his pupils dilating as well as the images flowed through his mind._

"_All of those times I failed those around me..." Sonic whispered to himself, tears pouring down his face. "Maybe this terrible fate was destined for me. Maybe this is the end."_

_But then a new image appeared into his head, this one being the first time Sonic and Amy kissed, the ocean's waves lapping up against the rock as the sun descended behind them. Another image then pushed through the negatives ones in his mind, this one being him and Tails promising to see one another again, and another one being him and Shadow racing. Soon enough more images flowed into his mind at a rapid pace. _

_He ran, he leaped, he stared his enemy down, he spun, he punched, he kicked, he laughed, he teased, he wept, he kissed, he smiled, he embraced, he changed, he flew, and he saved the world again. The blue hedgehog suddenly curled up into a ball as a brilliant cyan spread across his body before he unleashed a massive wave of blue that killed the corruption instantly as he touched it, the heavenly blue glow spreading across the shell as it turned into a normal sky. The wasteland reverted to even more grassy hills as Sonic stood in the center of it all, the heavenly and hellish figures floating around him as the former one was clear of corruption._

_Sonic was incorruptible._

The heroes looked as Sonic reverted to normal, smirking at the heroes as he fell backwards. Amy caught his fall in an instant, holding his unconscious and bruised body in her hands as the other heroes gathered around him, including Blaze. Even with all of the bad occurrences that had happened lately, maybe there was hope left for this world. Ragnarok may be wrong after all.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: Only one last chapter before our next arc which will set up the next few arcs of the story and feature the revealing of the last Ragnarok agent who has already appeared but hasn't been revealed technically. There are two who haven't been identified, but the other has already appeared a few arcs ago in an unusual form. Please review and hang tight for the next update, and tell your friends about the story who would like it just as much as you do-the more the merrier!

PS: Longest chapter EVER!


	34. Scars of a Brisk Wind

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 34: Scars of Wind

**Location: Heavenly Forest**

The Heavenly Forest was a beautiful area beyond Eastopolis. The air was fresh and the sounds of life peacefully unfolding echoed through the crisply green trees. The late winter breeze soothed the fur of the two heroes from the future as they trudged through the area, the last remnants of frost clinging to the ground as they climbed over a small hill and walked downhill. But the most beautiful part of the area was the sunlight filtering through the tress which gave the forest it's name. Light glistened through the trees, spreading across the forest floor like ever growing pools of holiness, and the very air seemed to faintly sparkle with an unparalleled beauty.

"Why are we out here again?" Marine asked. "I mean it's so cold, and mostly everyone else is back at the cozy mansion...it's not fair!"

"Chrono told us that Chaos thought Ragnarok would be gathering up the Chaos Emeralds before their planned war," Silver said. "This Chaos Emerald is a lot more active, so Knuckles decided we should get it. You were the one who wanted to get out of Coastal Valley so badly anyway."

"I suppose you're right..." Marine grumbled. "That echidna is one leader though. He isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but crikey, is he strong and brave!"

"I've fought with him before," Silver said, "he is quite the force. The heroes from this time are just as powerful as the ones from our time."

"Speaking of heroes, what's Sonic up to?" Marine wondered. "He's been spending every minute with that mysterious Chrono guy, and it has me a bit worried. He's getting more beat up every day and Amy's so worried."

"Chrono doesn't seem that mysterious, just a little reserved," Silver replied. "Sonic's been training with him. He's a Chosen, remember?"

"I have no idea what that means," Marine said, shaking her head.

"Me neither," Silver admitted. "All I know is that it had something to do with the people that fought against those like Chaos way back then, but now they're good, I guess."

The silver hedgehog felt weird about his half-lie. He did see Sonic practice a lot with Chrono, teaching him new techniques and how to hone his Chosen abilities. He heard a lot more than he let on. And to be honest, he was a little jealous. Blaze could call him naive all she wanted, but seeing Sonic be chosen over and over again to see the world, even now being the last Chosen made a spark of rage shoot off in his mind. How was he supposed to prove himself if Sonic was to be chosen as the savior of the world over and over again? The silver hedgehog cast the thought out of his mind as they continued walking, feeling out the energies in the air.

"We're getting closer," Silver determined as they stood on the edge of a cliff. "We may actually be on top of it."

"You are, idiot!" Marine face palmed, the silver hedgehog looking down to find the bright glow of the yellow chaos emerald peering up from the bottom of the cliff. "Even I saw that!"

"Sorry, just a bit distracted," Silver apologized, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

The silver furred anthro slide down the cliff, moving the dust away from the emerald before he held it in his hand. The glow of the emerald was warm as usual, but it was also much brighter than before. Silver had to squint to even look at the emerald as its glow only amplified the one of the forest light around them, giving warmth to the entire forest around them. He realized how much stronger the Chaos Emerald seemed than usual, and knew that what Knuckles said was right. He would just have to question him about it when they returned.

"Hurry up, we can look at the emerald later. Just because Eggman's gone doesn't mean someone else doesn't want it," Marine demanded.

Silver put the emerald in his pocket and looked back up the cliff to where Marine was peering down at him. But as he summoned upon his telekinetic powers to levitate himself up he suddenly spun around, feeling the spike of energy that emerged from the vortex in midair. A cloaked figure dropped from it, her heels clacking across the ground as a small breeze circled her, as if instinctively protecting its master. The silver hedgehog dropped to the ground and spun around to meet her, teal energy flaring up around him as he prepared for a fight.

"Knuckles was right!" Marine said. "Those Ragnarok cowards would try to sneak their way towards those Chaos Emeralds!"

"Cowards? How amusing to think of trying to avoid unnecessary conflict in such a way," the female said. "Give me the Chaos Emerald, and no one has to be put in harm's way."

"Like we would trust you with the Chaos Emeralds," Silver snapped. "You're the ones who have been attacking places all around the world for the biggest sources of chaos energy. I'm not giving anything to you!"

"When you are annihilated, then you cannot blame me," the female Ragnarok agent said, removing her hood. Stormy gray eyes gazed upon Silver with great emotion, but of what the silver hedgehog could not figure out. The rabbit had midnight black fur, with white markings in the corners of her eyes and along her long black ears that reached down to the bottom of her back, in addition to a dark gray muzzle and a ruby pendant hanging from a silver necklace. "You have brought this upon yourselves."

"Can I at least know the name of my enemy?" Silver requested. "We've been doing our research and you were the one Sonic and his group fought in Blue Ridge and failed to barely hit you."

"The name is Typhoon," the Ragnarok rabbit said, taking a fighting stance as her stormy gray eyes gazed calmly into Silver's amber ones. "Prepare yourself!"

The rabbit crouched low and kicked off with as much strength as she could, launching herself towards the silver hedgehog at great speed. Silver quickly pulled up a massive boulder from the ground and launched it at the rabbit, but she quickly dived to the ground in front of Silver before pushing off and slamming both of her heels into Silver's stomach. The white furred hedgehog wasn't sure whether it was it was something else or just her brute strength, but the white hedgehog coughed as droplets of blood fell onto Typhoon's heels before he was tossed back into the side of the cliff, grunting in pain as he slumped to the ground.

"That's all?" Typhoon asked calmly, wiping the blood off of her heels by rubbing them against the ground. "I thought a hero from the future would be much more advanced than a hero from this time but clearly I was wrong. We have been watching all of your moves and everything has been going according to plan."

"Then lemme change that for you!" Marine said, descending down upon the rabbit with two green orbs in her hands.

Typhoon did not react in the slightest as Marine approached, gazing upon the raccoon with almost amusement. The raccoon tossed the green orbs at the Ragnarok female, but she cartwheeled to the side as Marine hit the ground before whirling around and kicking her across the face, followed by a punch to her gut. The raccoon shrugged the blows off and attempted to launch a burst of green mystical energy from point blank rage at her face but Typhoon let go of her before stomping the ground. A breeze suddenly turned into massive winds of gale force as the raccoon found herself int the center of a massive tornado while Typhoon remained unaffected despite being right next to it.

"Ah!" Marine cried out as the powerful winds sliced through fur and skin rapidly. The raccoon began to fall as the tornado finally whisked away, but it was only for Typhoon to race up through the air towards her and slam her with a powerful fist, knocking the anthro child up through the air, through multiple tree branches and then she fell to the ground unceremoniously.

"Marine!" Silver cried out. He scrambled up and ran towards her, but Typhoon stood in the way as a small breeze circled her, completely unharmed. "Let me through!"

"You will not be going anywhere until you relinquish that Chaos Emerald," she said. "I came here for it and I intend to leave with it."

"Psycho Laser!" Silver shouted, holding his hands like a triangle in front of his head before he focused his energies through the point, unleashing a powerful concentrated teal laser of energy that even tore apart the air as it headed for the rabbit.

"It is amazing how life reacts when one of it's own is in danger," Typhoon said, snapping her fingers in the face of the blast as multiple portals opened up around the recovering Marine. "Now I suppose I will get to see your true potential."

The rabbit slammed both of her fists into the ground, causing two massive whirlwinds to rise up in front of the rabbit and form a protective barrier. The Psycho Laser was powerful but halted as it entered the cyclones, giving Typhoon enough time to flip to the side and duck behind a tree. The Psycho Laser then cut through the whirlwinds before he swept it around while levitating in midair, cutting through the ground and all of the trees around them. Wood fell to the ground and splintered before falling apart as the massive trees fell around the area.

Typhoon leaped into the air to avoid another tree and cartwheeled across the ground to avoid more falling debris. A few massive branches fell around the rabbit but she formed a sphere of winds which repelled all of the forces around her. Silver fell to the ground, but was not done yet as he launched a whirl of psychic ribbons at the sphere which caused it to break apart. The white hedgehog leaped forward and concentrated teal wrapped around his fist which he then plowed into the rabbit's stomach. Typhoon gasped for air as she fell back towards the ground, flipping back and catching herself just in time as Silver landed near her

"I feel better knowing I am facing the true potential of a future warrior," Typhoon said, "Getting the Chaos Emerald otherwise would feel like cheating."

"Why do you even need the emerald?" Silver wondered. "Why gather all of this chaos energy from the Chaos Cores, these disturbances, and now the Chaos Emeralds? All of this destruction just for these energy sources...it has to be for something and we both know it."

"If only you could understand what we are about to do..." Typhoon replied. "These disturbances are growing and will culminate. The Spring Equinox will be the final culmination of our plans, where everything will come to fruition and this vile, evil world can be put out of its suffering."

"How is this world evil?" Silver asked. "Why do you hate it so much?"

"You could not understand. By your time you would have already been blinded by the illusion of peace this world claims to have," Typhoon snapped. "I have seen the evils of this world for myself. These 'villains' you claim to fight are merely exposing what has been and will always be there, and you 'heroes' are merely misguided vigilantes. It is pathetic."

"How can you not realize it?" Silver questioned. "You are being used. All of the Ragnarok members I have seen have all been wronged in their pasts. You're just being manipulated through your bitterness about what's happened to you!"

"I do not have to explain anything to you," Typhoon said. "The pains we have experienced in this world have helped us to see that it is a world of evil and one that has existed too far past its prime. It will eventually fall into ruin, but we are merely accelerating its downfall to put it out of its misery. New, prepare yourself!"

As the two fighters launched at each other again, Marine had her own predicament. The raccoon had since recovered from Typhoon's powerful blow, but she found herself faced against a wave of Nerux, Aerux, and another one. This one was like the Nerux, but it was slightly larger, had much stronger and elegant black armor in addition to a large dark trident, and shining white markings, almost like runes covered its body. The Neo Nerux pointed its trident out at Marine, black sparks surrounding the edges as the Nerux and Aerux followed its command and charged at the mystic fighter.

"I'm not out of this one yet!" Marine said, launching herself at the first Nerux.

An aurora of pale green energy surrounded the raccoon's hands as she launched into battle, smashing her fist into the gut of the first Nerux. The monster keeled over and dropped its sword, but in that instant Marine jumped over the Ragnarok Beasts and slammed her palm into its back, sending it flying into the tree where it dissipated into a storm of white and black particles. Two Nerux came in from the sides, but Marine tapped the ground and leaped back into the air again, spinning around before snapping both of her legs out and hitting them directly in the head, reducing them to clouds of particles.

An Aerux dived down, swooping directly at her as rings of white energy energy surrounded it, but Marine quickly turned around and shot a green orb through the air which destroyed the Aerux before leaping to the side to avoid a diving Aerux before unleashing another green blast point blank at its head. The raccoon landed, firing wisps of mystical green energy form her fingertips which cut through the last few Nerux before landing and smashing an Aerux swooping down behind her, leaving only her and the Neo Nerux.

"Looks like I get to take this big bloke out," Marine said, scratching the back of her head. "Boy, I wish Blaze was here. She would get to see I'm really taking our training to heart!"

The two fighters looked at each other, staying still and quietly analyzing each other as the air seemed to tense up in anticipation. Both fighters charged up powerful auras of energy, waiting for the moment where they have the opportunity for attack. But then a branch loosened up by Typhoon's tornado fell down and split up contact with the ground, and both fighters charged, Marine summoning a large mystical auras around her left hand while the Neo Nerux's trident sparked with violent black energy. The two fighters impacted with their attacks, sending blasts of black and green in every direction as the two fighters clashed.

Both fighters backed off as their attacks faded, landing away from each other before charging once more. Marine ran and fired off a wave of mystical orbs, which the Neo Nerux blocked by swinging his trident like a fan in front of him, deflecting the shots almost instantly. Marine leaped over some of the shots that were deflected towards her, soaring through the air and avoiding a stab of the trident which slightly burned her fur. The raccoon punched the Neo Nerux in the face, causing it to stagger back from the force of the energy oozing of Marine's hands.

"Take that!" Marine said, but the Ragnarok Beast was far more resilient than she thought.

The raccoon leaped to the side as the trident cut trough the air again and again, unleashing bursts of black static in its wake. The raccoon rolled to avoid a massive fissure of black static that cut through the ground before she sprung back up and moved for a deadly fist full of mystical energy. But the Neo Nerux sent her skidding back with the butt of the hilt smashing into her stomach, which she quickly recovered from. The raccoon charged forward one last time, leaping over her opponent while shooting powerful threads of mystical energy forward. The attack pierced the Ragnarok east without fail, but right before it burst into a storm of particles it tossed its trident right at Marine.

"Ah!"

Blood splattered across the ground as Marine landed in the storm of particles, the trident's end embedded in her stomach. The trident burst inside of her, the particles causing more blood to spill as the raccoon was knocked unconscious, lying in a pool of her own blood. Silver cried out and rushed passed Typhoon, leaning over the raccoon as she coughed, attempting to stand but to no avail. Typhoon looked on without any discernible emotion on her face, but she did not interfere and more emotion was hidden below the surface.

"Are you okay?" Silver asked, using telekinesis to put the blood back inside her despite the massive wounds that covered his body; he could barely land a few blows on the cool and collected rabbit.

"I'll...I'll be fine," Marine promised. "I can hang on...at least now that my mate's put all my blood back in me!"

"Alright then, I'll make this quick," Silver said, turning to face his opponent as she summoned a powerful aura of energy. "Let's end this.

"I won't give you the chance," Typhoon said as the air suddenly became thick and humid. Small droplets of water began to form and cluster hovering in the air above Typhoon and Silver. Within a few moments, the massive vortex of water was raging violently, only held back by her will. "The reason I am the most powerful Ragnarok agent is because I can not only manipulate the very wind your breath comes from, but I can manipulate water, your well of life. You never stood a chance, not even from the beginning."

With that, the vortex crashed upon Silver and Marine, bursting on contact. Water flew all about, engulfing the two future heroes and flooding the entire area around them while leaving Typhoon on a spot of completely untouched ground. The water raged about and covered everything, pushing tons of pressure upon everything. When the water finally calmed down, leaving just a thin layer of water upon the forest, Typhoon looked, a hint of rage in her eyes.

She should have expected a hedgehog of his caliber from the future to know Chaos Control, and not forget it in such a hopeless situation, taking the Chaos Emerald with him. But then the hint of rage faded away, leaving only the same sense of eerie calm. After all, by the time they returned to their beloved base, it would be reduced to ashes, with only the Lord of Ragnarok waiting to eliminate the last two heroes. And as she warped away, she knew that she would be the victor in the long run.

After all, the Spring Equinox was not too far away now.

* * *

**Location: Digital Circuit**

The yellow fox walked through the digital pathway, blue walls outlining the digital realm he was entrapped within. His Energy Cannon was held at his side as he walked alone, completely inactive. He learned quickly in his new environment that the GUN Sentries of the United Federation network he was a part of did not detect him. Maybe his intentions of good formed into codes of authorization, or that was his best guess. After all, there was no way of knowing of what he was now. A program, a virus, or just a wandering spirit, he could not tell.

He had seen how the heroes were doing, and what happened to Chaos with his own eyes. He could not truly cry, but he did not need to anymore. He had already grieved within. His new conditions had not taken his emotions away, not just yet. The fox flew past shifting blocks of data before descending through a storm of blue data streams before landing another small platform which overlooked the towers of Central City's GUN Network's core, full of GUN Sentries and programs. It was a sight to behold, but to Tails it was an eyesore. He had walked through this area 107 times already, and he would probably do it again, all alone.

"A visitor, hm?"

Tails looked the shrouded figure, covered in a hooded black coat which obscured most of his figure. Maybe it was a part of his program or something, but he was just glad to see another normal person or something akin to that here, something which he had not seen in longer than he could remember. Time was far different in there.

"I'm jut as surprised to see something like you here too," Tails said, kneeling down and sitting on the edge of the platform just like the figure was, the two of them staring out at the streams of data. "How did you get here, anyway?"

A long pause as both figure pondered.

"I do not remember," the figure said. "It has been too long."

"Oh. Well, I got here attempting to fight a virus that was actually the fragmented soul of the Nocturnus Imperator Ix," Tails said casually.

"Fascinating. I did not know such a thing was possible. Ix must have been powerful with his soul fully put back together. It's all over GUN files."

"Yeah, well thanks to me sacrificing myself no one ever had to figure out," Tails said.

"So you knew what you were going to do to yourself, and you still did it?" the figure questioned. "How admirable. It says something about someone when they have such a character to give themselves up like that. At least you did not die at such a young age. It would be quite unfortunate."

"You seem quite intelligent," Tails said, looking at him for just a moment. "Do you recall who you were, anyway?"

"..."

"Do you?"

"I think I'm Cyrus Tech. The fox. At least, I _was_ him."

"Oh..."

And then the two watched the GUN Network for hours and hours, reflecting on what they could remember that brought both of them there in the first place.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And that is the final chapter (technically) of this arc! The next chapter is technically in the next arc, but it will bridge this arc and the next one is a perfect way with plenty of story twists that will blow you away. Please hang tight for that, and be sure to drop a review even if you never have before, it's nice to get the awesome feedback, no matter what it is. Hang tight for the next chapter, and review until then!

PS: Typhoon is awesome, right?! She will have a very interesting past that led her to where she is now that will help up understand Ragnarok more, so be sure to follow on that in the next two arcs.


	35. Destruction Declaration

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 35: Declaration Message

**Location: Coastal Valley Mansion**

Knuckles and Blaze walked through the garden of Gemini's mansion, massive bushes rising up on either of him as they curved around to make a large labyrinth. The two had walked through out of boredom, and based on what they know the entrance wasn't too far through the next few curves. The red echidna had now known what burden was placed on Sonic and Tails, and could how Silver was just in his position, but still a little naive. After all, he felt so much pressure on him, and there seemed to be no escape.

Sonic was off training, disappearing at most day hours with Chrono and Fang, with today not being an exception. Chrono didn't allow any. Everyone wanted Knuckles to push for a solution to figure out a way to save Tails, and no one knows what happened to Chaos or Metal. Silver and Marine still haven't returned from getting the Chaos Emerald, Team Dark won't respond to their calls, and Ragnarok is still waiting in the wings, and because they weren't so activate lately. Knuckles could only assume they were collecting their forces and becoming even more powerful, and there was nothing they could do until they revealed themselves.

"You should really stop thinking about all of the things you have to do," Blaze said, crossing her arms to cover herself as a breeze flowed through the passageways of the garden maze. "I'm still worried about what happened to Silver and Marine, but you don't see me killing myself over it."

"But I can't just put it on the side, not when all of those things are so important," Knuckles countered as they turned another corner. "So many people are placing their hopes in me right now. Why did Sonic have to do all of this training all of a sudden?"

"Because the idea that he can master his Chosen abilities can be the difference between the destruction or the preservation of this world," Blaze stated as they came around the bend, walking down the next corridor. "After all, the destruction of this world will be the destruction of the future and of my own dimension which I still care about. Besides, Tails just used logical facts to stay cool and Sonic just ran. You have to have your own outlet too, or you won't be a good leader. I had trouble with that back in my own dimension."

"I'll find something then, I guess," Knuckles promised as they turned around the last corner and the large gates to the garden loomed over them. He pressed against the gate, causing it to creek open slowly. "You know, I've been looking through some of the echidna lore, and I think that some parts of what these Ragnarok agents have been saying pertains to some things in it. I can't confirm anything, but it's something to think about. We know nothing about them really and we need answers."

"That's good," Blaze said as they walked through the gate. "Keep looking. You may find out a hell of a lot through that stuff."

"I will," Knuckles nodded as they stepped out of the garden and into the main plaza area, two sets of stairs curving around the large fountain in front of the mansion as they led into the front door. The area below had multiple pathways leading off to the meadows, gardens, and beaches below, showing off the beautiful sight that was Gemini's private resort. Knuckles looked out at the beach and did not see any figures; Sonic, Chrono, and Fang must be training off of the forest behind the mansion that day, and they probably wouldn't get back for a while. "Tell the heroes to meet up tonight; we have to begin making a move or Ragnarok will get the drop on us."

"Sounds good," Blaze said, walking away from Knuckles and up the stairs.

But as the echidna guardian watched her go up the stair, her eyes widened and she stopped in her tracks. Knuckles wondered what caused her to do that, but he suddenly felt the wave of pressure over him. Despite being around the Master Emerald, the greatest known source of chaos energy, and being around Chaos, a god, he felt that this source of energy wasn't only greatest than that of Chaos but it was also different. It felt like there was an ocean above the sky that crashed down upon them, though the energy had an eerie sense of light and calm. Moments after they felt the energy three whirling black and white vortexes tore through space and into existence, giving way to three Ragnarok agents.

The first was recognizable as the destructive lynx Havoc that Shadow fought at Rail Canyon, but the other one was new, at least they did not know who he was yet. The Ragnarok was a dark blue male wolf. He had a large, bushy gray tail, had a purple crest in the center of his forehead right above in between his eyes, and spiky, short cut gray hair. His bright yellow eyes glared down at the two heroes, while he had a long golden belt on which featured a sky blue sheath with dark blue waves outlined in gold at the ends.

In his hand was a long katana with blue thread like shapes running along the blade to its tip and to the top of the edge, and the hilt was a sky blue with golden markings woven into it and gold separating the guard and blade. There was no hilt at all, showing that only one who could properly use the blade could avoid hurting themselves. Knuckles recalled that weapon when he and Vector fought the mysterious figure who took away Gemini's memory, and Knuckles had a feeling this wolf was the very same person he fought.

The last figure had the same Ragnarok attire, but without sleeves, revealing orange limbs which ended in black fingerless gloves. This cloak was more of a coat with a hood, allowing the orange form underneath to be revealed as the buckles that replaced the zipper were undone. This last figure who stood in the center had long orange hair like spikes on the back of his head, along with swirling vermilion markings across his cheeks and red eyes with many rings within it. The figure had a very pale muzzle and he did not seem to have fur-instead his skin was a more metallic like surface while a long, thick spiked tail whipped out behind the figure, covered in orange and purple.

Save for the mechanical parts, this figure looked just like the other three "Nebulas" that Chaos fought in Apotos, and the energy was no different. Blaze leaped back down the stairs next to Knuckles as she summoned a swirl of flames around her body, ready to attack the three at a moment's notice.

"What are you here for?" Knuckles demanded, suddenly letting out a harmless green pulse of chaos energy out from his body and into the air. "I just sent a signal from the Master Emerald to warn the closest heroes, so you better have a good excuse!"

"It seems that Tikal has not arrived yet," the Nebula lookalike stated, staring past the heroes as if they weren't there. "That's a shame. When we're done here we'll just simply leave behind an Airborne or a Guardian. No matter how powerful her echidna magic is, she has just become tangible and so she will be taken care of before she can reveal anything."

"I don't think you should be threatening us, anyway," the wolf said, holding his sword out to the two as a challenge. "You have no idea who you're dealing with. Our Lord of Ragnarok will blow your mind!"

"He's the Ragnarok's leader?" Knuckles exclaimed, staring at the crimson eyed figure. "Why...why...are you here?"

"Cerebral is right. I am the Ragnarok's leader. To show you heroes how pathetically worthless you are in the face of Ragnarok's goal," the mechanized Nebula exclaimed, his tail whipping out behind him. "I will not let you vigilantes attempt to impede us any longer. When those injured futuristic heroes come back, we will take care of them too."

At that moment Amy and Luxi ran up through the pathway leading out to the cliffs on the side of the mansion while Repul and Tain ran out from the forest pathway and Gemini peered down from one of the large balconies to look down upon the three figures. The three Ragnarok members stayed still as the tension increased, all of the heroes completely on edge and waiting for the first attack. Knuckles looked down at the three Ragnarok members, and his heart sank as he gaged the other two's energies-Shadow was the one who could stand up to Havoc as the lynx had an extremely high level of energy, and that Cerebral was probably one of the more elite members, as his energy levels put those like Leo's to shame.

Not a word was said as the tension increased, each side waiting for the other to make a move. Knuckles began to charge up a Thunder Arrow in his hand as a diversion in desperation, the shining projectile sparking to life in Knuckles' hands. They all waited for the attack to unleash a call for the battle, but it stared preemptively as Gemini dropped down, his boots clacking against the floor of the outside of the main hall. Cerebral spun around and swiped his sword out in an arc, attempting to cleave Gemini's head off but he summoned a Dark Cutter to his hand and blocked the attack.

Knuckles quickly aimed his Thunder Arrow at Havoc and fired, but the lynx jumped back only to get slammed across the face by Repul's massive black metallic blade which knocked him past Cerebral and into the inside of the mansion's main hall. Gemini attempted to use his Dark Cutter to pierce Cerebral past his sword but the wolf spun around and slashed him up with the sword, sending him sailing through the air. The wolf chased after him to the mansion roof while Luxi followed to aid him, and Repul and Amy followed Havoc into the main hall, leaving Knuckles, Blaze, and Tain with the Mech Nebula.

"Deep Impact!" Knuckles shouted, launching forward at the Mech Nebula with Tain jumping above him and unleashing Tattoo Whips at the Ragnarok leader. Blaze followed up behind them with Fire Claws at the ready.

"You have made a foolish mistake attempting to oppose me," Mech Nebula chuckled, suddenly launching a rocket from his palm at the trio.

The contact let out a massive explosion which rocked the air and blew open the side of the mansion, with a force that would tear apart any normal person. On the inside of the whole was Knuckles, Blaze, and Tain, hiding behind cover. If it wasn't for Tain's save by pulling them away while using the smoke as cover, they all would be dead. Mech Nebula hovered using the jets on its back, it's right arm converted into a gatling gun as it surveyed the area with no emotion on its face while seeking out the bodies of its two targets.

"This isn't good," Knuckles whispered to Tain. "He's going to find us eventually."

"He's unusually strong," Tain said. "If it wasn't for his voice or that massive chaos energy readings, he could be a robot."

"But his presence was so full of life," Knuckles countered. "Funny, that feeling of his energy is one that I've definitely felt before. Something about this is eerily familiar."

"Come out, guardian," Nebula demanded, "it will only make things simpler for you."

"Do you have any ideas, any tactics on how to beat him?" Knuckles wondered. "Mercenaries would fight kind of like the way Rouge does, and she always thinks of that. I don't think we'll win against the Lord of Ragnarok with brute force."

"No kidding," Tain said. "He outclasses both of us easily. We're going to have to find a weakness first, or he's going to tear us to shreds."

"How are we going to do that without getting torn to shreds?" Blaze wondered, looking at the Mech Nebula through a piece of window glass lying on the floor. "He has a gatling gun and a jet pack!"

"I want to face you all at your true potentials," Mech Nebula stated. "Gemini will be pushed to the limit in a desperation to destroy Cerebral to get his memories back, and Repul will have to push to his limits in order to fight an opponent like Havoc. You three, on the other hand, will need a more emotional push. None of you will attack unless pushed, even those like Knuckles."

"Ignore him," Blaze urged. "We do not need to be provoked."

"I won't," Knuckles promised.

"I have a plan," Tain announced, pulling out one of his short swords and twirling it in his hand. "But you're going to have to give me an opening. Be careful."

"Do you want to know what happened to Chaos?" Mech Nebula questioned, surveying the open floor. "Maybe this realization will bring out your true strength. I will show you how futile you really are, no matter how strong you become."

"Wait for it," Tain warned, the heroes getting ready as the Mech Nebula continued to stare at the rubble, looking for signs of movement. "Blaze, look for signs of faltering."

"I was one of the gods fighting in the God War," Nebula stated. "Chaos worked against me and I chose to take revenge. I killed him with little effort, and you heroes are next."

"Thunder Arrow!" Knuckles shouted in anger.

The red echidna dashed out of cover, avoiding a few shots before unleashing the whizzing, deadly lightning projectile. The Mech Nebula looked in shock and quickly swerved to the side to avoid the powerful attack, only to find himself quite low to the floor of the level. Blaze charged towards him with Fire Claws in hand, almost ready to pounce but the Mech Nebula fired a round of gatling bullets which she dodged. The cat sidestepped the bullets before lunging out at the Mech Nebula with a Fireball in hand but the robot like Ragnarok slashed across her stomach with his tail, sending her flying into the wall.

"And this is why your efforts mean nothing," the Mech Nebula said. "Wait, where is the tattooed wolf?"

"Here!" Tain said, leaping up behind him. By the time the Ragnarok leader turned around the wolf stabbed the shirt sword deep into his chest, the tattooed anthro narrowing his eyes and pushing the sword in deeper.

Meanwhile, Gemini and Luxi fought against Cerebral on the roof of the mansion, but it was clear who the primary combatant was. The darkness wielding hedgehog charged again, determination flickering in his pale amber eyes as he rushed forward and fired a barrage of black bursts at the mysterious swordsman. The navy wolf chuckled to himself before swiping out of his sword multiple times, slicing each attack in half. Gemini slammed his fist against the sword, drawing blood as the edge cut through his glove. The rosy hedgehog backed off and summoned a Dark Cutter, slashing across Cerebral's blade multiple times to no avail.

"You won't be able to cut through Mindspeed, no matter how hard you try," Cerebral stated. "It was formed from the strongest metals combined with my own energy into a Chaos Alloy."

"Are you done rambling?" Gemini spat, suddenly splitting as his other body slammed down with a powerful kick aided by dark energy from above.

However, Cerebral hopped off of the roof and flipped backwards, kicking up a tile while landing which he used to block multiple lances that cut through the air. The wolf let the tile drop as he ducked, Gemini's Dark Comet sailing overhead as the very pressure of it rocked the roof under them. The wolf blocked a Dark Cutter swipe from behind as the Rose Casino owner then pushed off from the attack, his two halves fusing together again as he stared down his opponent. The wolf simply smirked as he surveyed his two opponents, his sword gleaming in the sunlight as his yellow eyes showed a sense of great pride.

"Someone's quite eager to fight me," Cerebral laughed. "What's the matter? Want your memories back?"

"You've caused me a lot of trouble, you little shit. If I don't get them back you're going to be as good as dead," Gemini hissed.

"Don't count on it," Cerebral sneered. "That would cause a bit of trouble for Ragnarok with you spilling our secrets. And besides, you killing me? What a joke!"

The black striped hedgehog charged forward, splitting in two as Luxi tossed a wave of lime energy pikes at the navy wolf. Cerebral leaped up into the air to avoid the weaponry before the two Geminis suddenly rushed up at him in two Dark Comets that spun together into an even more powerful attack. The wolf looked down at the two and smirked, touching a finger to his head before his sword suddenly glowed with a navy blue light for a moment.

The mysterious force traveled through the air and slammed into one of the Geminis' heads, suddenly causing both of them to drop out of the air and fall to the ground, clutching their heads. Cerebral smirked landed on the roof before charging at their sides with his sword ready to strike, but Luxi quickly got in the way, summoning a cleaver in one hand and an axe in the other. The rabbit tossed the axe at Cerebral which he caught off the edge of the axe and tossed back with impressive dexterity but Luxi then charged forward with the cleaver, swiping it out at the wolf's side.

The navy anthro growled in anger as blood spewed from his arm, which was sliced almost to the bone by the attack. The wolf quickly held his hand out to Luxi, causing her to unwillingly drop the cleaver as it sliced her leg on the way to the ground. The rabbit cried out in agony as she fell to the ground, her weapons dissipating. Cerebral simply smirked as he walked towards her slowly, his sword Mindspeed gleaming in the light as his yellow eyes filled with the smug confidence coming from his almost assured victory.

"My abilities are unique that I can completely control the neural signals in my body and those of others, effectively being able to read and control the minds and movements of others, and can boost my own," Cerebral stated. "You cannot fight me with just brute force, and so your powers mean nothing in the face of my greatness."

"Someone's got an ego," Gemini said, his two bodies fusing together as he managed to get himself to his feet, slowly regaining his strength. "All I know is you somehow took my memories out from my neural system, and I'm going to beat it out of you."

"Bring it," Cerebral dared, and the two charged once more, only to suddenly stop in their tracks as a massive rumble came form the downstairs hall.

Repul flew back from the source, grunting as he slammed through another wall and into the great dining hall. Maids screamed and ran in different directions as Repul crashed onto the table before finally falling off and coming to a stop on the floor. The ram leaped to his feet and held his hands out, pulling his metal cleaver through the air and grasping it tightly before he swung it out, causing the chandelier to fall from the ceiling and suddenly burst apart as a high powered laser of vermilion particles destroyed it in a blaze of energy.

Havoc stepped through the destruction, rage filling his eyes as the vermilion particles danced around his body. The lynx suddenly charged forward, spinning into a powerful drill as swirling helices of purple augmented his movements. Repul quickly raised his massive blade despite it being almost twice his size and blocked the Destruction Drill, before suddenly holding his hand out at his sword. The edge of the blade suddenly had the metal pulled off of it and replaced by a new one, the old edge being eaten up by the purple particles.

"You get my power now, don't you?" Havoc stated, suddenly firing threads of particles at him which he jumped out of the way of by kicking off of the wall.

"The particles eat up anything they touch, and you can move it with your will to create these attacks," Repul stated, leaping to his feet and holding his sword out, unleashing a barrage of metal bullets from his sword from the bottom of the stairs. "A powerful ability, but one easy to overcome."

"You damn heroes..." Havoc said, pulling up a shifting wave of particles to absorb and destroy the metal shots before they reached him. "Always trying to be on top of the world. I was one of your kind once, you know. But the crime would never stop, no matter how much I did. Well, I'm going to get rid of it once and for all, even if I have to destroy some of my own to do it!"

"One can still change the world," Repul promised, holding his sword up to block any other attacks which pushed him back enough to then have him leap on top of the dining table, "It may not be so easy though."

"Well, I'm not willing to wait for this world's redemption, not anymore," Havoc hissed, pushing all of his will into his next attack as giant whirling helices of particles surrounded him in a protective field which disintegrated everything else. "Ragnarok will accelerate the end for this world, ending its misery forever. And there is nothing you can do to prevent it. The Spring Equinox will be the final day of the suffering!"

"Spring Equinox?" Repul questioned.

"Destruction Release," Havoc stated, "This attack will destroy you all, but it is for the greater good."

"No it won't!"

As the attack released, Amy was suddenly behind him, swinging around and smashing him in the back as hard as he could when she realized his power's final weakness: Havoc was not immune to his own particles. The lynx was disintegrated as he fell into the storm of his own energy, his scream not heard above the helices suddenly expanding and whirling about to destroy every foundation of the building. From the outside, the smoking mansion suddenly rumbled, and then the sounds of explosions was heard as the helices ripped through the mansion, destroying everything.

As the energy released as the destruction particles covered most of the inner structures the mansion collapsed in a burst of smoke and flames, the impact of the collapse sending out a rumble which could be heard even at the outskirts of Eastopolis. The smoke and the flames concealed what happened for minutes on end, the sound of fighting dying down as the meadows burned and the forest filled with the sickly smoke. Havoc was no more, but the cost that his powerful technique made was clear as the Coastal Valley Mansion was left in ruins.

"Shit!"

Blaze hauled herself out from the wreckage, coughing as she tried to expel to scorching smoke from her lungs. The cat pulled free from the ruins, catching her breath for a moment before she realized that somehow she was alive, even after she felt all of that stuff fall upon her. The feeling of the air passing through her lungs felt good, and she took the opportunity to relish it. Right before the sound a jet pack died down and a figure was visible in the wreckage, the sound of a weapon being loaded ringing through the cat's ears.

"Havoc was always the reckless one," the Mech Nebula explained, his right arm converted into a missile launcher while his left arm was somewhat normal while blood dripped from the cut on his arm. "I just did not expect him to do that. Your ally Tain was right, this body may have the abilities of a robot but internally it is completely flesh."

"Screw you," Blaze said. "You will not escape here alive. It's seven heroes against you and the wolf, and it's a matter of time before the others return. The explosion was loud enough to be heard from the next city over past the small forest."

"I will, trust me," the Mech Nebula said, aiming the gun at her head. "Now, die."

"Grand Thunder Arrow!" Knuckles bellowed.

The Mech Nebula suddenly fell to the side, his red eyes filling with shock as the projectile slammed into him, unleashing powerful releases of chaos infused lightning upon impact. Knuckles stood proud, despite his arm hanging limp and blood covering the side of his face from a powerful blow as he barely managed to stay conscious. Blaze released a heavy breath as she believed it was the end for her, looking around at the scorched wasteland around them. To believe that only one Ragnarok member could do this...she would hate to see what the higher ranked ones could do at this full potential.

"This is over," Blaze said, looking at his shocked and mangled body. "You won, Knuckles. He's dead."

"Don't count on it."

Suddenly the Mech Nebula sprang to his feet, tossing a grenade down at the ground. Knuckles tried to fire off another Thunder Arrow, but the Mech Nebula already pushed off into the air, using a super jump with his jet boosters. The explosion tore at the wreckage even more, and though the other heroes began to pull themselves free the smoke prohibited them from seeing what was happening. By the time Knuckles looked up Nebula had him pinned under, the barrel of his gatling gun aimed right at his head.

"You now see how futile you are, even in the face of a fraction of Ragnarok's power," the Mech Nebula told him. "Now, tell Sonic that the time of our stalemate is erased forever. Consider this my war declaration. Cerebral, we're going."

"Yes, Master," Cerebral nodded, jumping to his side and snapping his fingers. The two stepped through the portal, leaving the shell shocked heroes behind as Silver and Marine stared upon the wreckage from the overlooking cliff and Sonic, Chrono, Fang, and the other heroes stared at it in terror from the forest on the other end of Coastal Valley.

The war had begun.

A/N: I continue to break my record for the longest chapter over and over again! Anyhow, so this chapter was full of revelations, including Ragnarok's goals being revealed in full and true war being declared. What does Nebula want from all of this? What is happening with Cyrus and how does he tie into all of this? You'll figure out in the next chapter which will have a very interesting betrayal and fight against the heroes, so hang tight for tat and drop a review by in the meantime!


	36. Titanic Clash

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 36: Titanic Clash

**Location: Angel Island**

The black hedgehog walked through the undergrowth of the forest, the energies of Angel Island rising through all of the life on the island. His crimson eyes were full of uncertainty but his trademark drive was clear as he walked with purpose, a frown written upon his face. The ebony furred hedgehog suddenly shot forward like a bullet, tearing through all of the plat life in his way as the relics and ruins of the echidna civilization passed by him, blanketed by the clouds which the island was level with high in the sky.

_I don't have a choice,_ Shadow told himself. _His power is too great to be left alone. It's an official order from the higher ups._

Suddenly Shadow was skating along a rugged pathway that came from the echidna ruins and cut through the forest, leading straight in the direction of the powerful energies of the Master Emerald. Rouge and Omega would back him up soon after their mission, and he may need it based on what he would be going up against. The heroes had come here not a few days ago after Ragnarok burned their mansion to the ground, but GUN Ops had very good intelligence and so here he was, pursuing them even when no one else knew what happened to them.

It was probably due to the influence of the GUN Ops Commander, Cyrus Tech the Fox. While Shadow greatly respected the GUN Commander and the two had become almost friends, he had never had leadership as good as their. The fox was the smartest person he had ever met in his life, and though he seemed even colder than the ultimate life form at times, he knew what he was doing and nothing significant ever escaped him. So when he proposed that GUN should be even connected to the heroes that helped to keep the world stabilized, people listened.

_I can feel his power ahead, even from here,_ Shadow stated, narrowing his eyes as the line of forest finally broke, revealing the bright jade glow of the Master Emerald. _Has he really become that powerful?_

The black hedgehog broke through the trees, walking towards the side of the shrine where some of the heroes were watching Sonic, Chrono, and Phase train. The three exchanged blows at a great pace, but Sonic stopped as Amy pointed towards the approaching black hedgehog, a light smile on her face. If only she knew what was going to happen. Sonic smirked and tapped his foot impatiently as the ultimate life form approached, his body relaxed but still having a tense edge to its movement. The glow of the Master Emerald shined over his face as it rotated in the shrine, keeping the very island afloat.

"Hey Shadow, what's up?" Sonic asked. "Why are you here all of a sudden? We could've used your help a long time before now, you know."

"Hey Sonic, sorry our meeting will be so short," Shadow apologized.

"Why will you be staying for a such a short time?" Amy wondered. "Does GUN have you on another big mission?"

"You could say that," Shadow stated, suddenly pulling his GUN Badge out from his quills. "By the order of the GUN Ops, I will be taking you, Sonic the Hedgehog into custody as a part of the new Hero Regulation Program."

"Didn't know Shadow had a sense of humor," Knuckles chuckled, crossing his arms while Chrono just stared on, a wavy look in his dark cerulean eyes. "That was actually pretty damn funny."

"Alright Shadow," Sonic said. "What are you really here for?"

"Didn't I say it already?" Shadow said, suddenly behind Sonic as the energies of the Chaos Control fizzled out around him. "I'm taking you in, Sonic. Chaos Nightmare!"

The black hedgehog threw his fist out as Sonic spun around, a high powered orb like field of chaos energy expelling from his fists. The force tossed the blue hedgehog high into the air, but Shadow was already above him, grabbing his legs and spinning around multiple times before tossing him straight into the ground. The burst of dust was large, but Shadow did not rest, his thirst for the blue hedgehog's destruction not quenched as he summoned a wave of Chaos Spears and shot them all down into the cloud of dust, causing flares of yellow to shoot up from the smoke. The black hedgehog landed, staring into the destruction for any signs of moment, as if he was a demon possessed.

"Come out," Shadow ordered. "I know you can take much more than that."

"Sonic Wind!" Sonic shouted.

"Stop guys!" Amy pleaded.

"What does GUN want with the last Chosen?" Chrono wondered, looking on in confusion.

The fruits of Sonic's training had been shown as he suddenly warped behind Shadow, large blue gusts of wind surrounding his hand which followed the trail of his arm as he unleashed the much more powerful Sonic Wind. The powerful attack slammed into Shadow's back, enveloping him in a burst of cyan wind that sent him flying through one of the pillars of the shrine. The black hedgehog quickly landed as Sonic charged towards him, reeling back a powerful fist. Shadow narrowed his eyes and blocked the fist with his forearm, only to get kicked across the face by Sonic. The blue hedgehog twisted around while in midair and attempted to land another fist but Shadow suddenly warped out of the way, leaving Sonic helpless in midair.

"Where did he go?" Sonic wondered, looking around as he began to descend.

"Here!" Shadow asked, suddenly shining into existence in the air next to his former ally and slamming him with a powerful kick to sent him hurling through the air, through multiple shrine pillars and then into the ground, kicking up a massive trail of destruction.

"I don't want to hurt you, Shadow!" Sonic warned, getting to his feet. "Stop while you're ahead."

"Then don't," Shadow retorted, suddenly shooting forward as his Air Shoes flared to life, "it makes my job easier!"

"Why does GUN want to take me in?" Sonic wondered, grabbing Shadow's fist and kicking him across the face before spinning around and delivering a high kick which sent him flying up into the air. "What do they want with me now that Ragnarok has declared war?"

"You're getting too powerful," Shadow stated as he stopped hovered in the air, staying afloat by his Air Shoes. "With Ragnarok starting their path of destruction, we cannot leave anything to chance. GUN has to stay connected to various heroes and regulate them in order to face this great threat to our very existence, and we can't have unauthorized heroes like you running around any longer."

"But Shadow, you know me!" Sonic argued, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You know that I always will stand for what's right!"

"There is no assurance of that," Shadow stated. "The world is changing, and there's no telling how heroes like you will react and change with it. Besides, GUN is well aware of your Dusk form, and how hard it is to control. We can't just leave you alone with that kind of power anymore."

"What would GUN even do with me?" Sonic wondered.

"That is not in my hands to control," Shadow said before his body suddenly flared a bright crimson. Ripples of red energy rolled off of him, repelling everything else besides the air he breathed. "Chaos Boost!"

The black hedgehog suddenly warped out of the way, leaving Sonic confused as to where he was. But he found out as the Chaos Lance slammed into his back from far above, the massive red projectile bursting apart in a red explosion. The blue hedgehog managed to warp out of the way before the full brunt of the attack hit him, but right before he could look up to find Shadow location the black hedgehog dived down towards him, unleashing a blood red force from his fist which knocked the blue hedgehog across the ground and into a few trees Knuckles allowed to grow around the shrine.

Sonic managed to get up from the Chaos Nightmare, lines of blood trickling down the side of his face from the impact of him hitting the ground. Shadow looked on coldly, crossing his arms as he allowed the massive aura of red around him to die down, though his quills still stood up on end from the massive amount of boosted power as his Air Shoes allowed him to hover slowly. The blue hedgehog looked in shock; Shadow was really in this with lethal force!

"I knew you wouldn't come with me willingly," Shadow said.

"Good, you shouldn't have bothered asking!" Sonic shouted before launching up at the air at the black hedgehog. "I'm going to knock you out of this!"

Shadow quickly blocked Sonic's punch before summoning a Chaos Nightmare in his other hand but Sonic quickly clashed with the attack by thrusting a Sonic Wind into the attack's path. Crimson and azure clashed as Shadow and Sonic were engulfed by their own attacks, the heroes diving to the ground as the force severed many of the pillars from the ground and reduced them to shreds. The two pushed away from each other as they saw they were getting nowhere, but as they flew away from each other in the air the black hedgehog suddenly warped away in a flash of blue.

Sonic skidded across the ground, looking around for signs of the Chaos Control, and he finally got it. Shadow reappeared in a flash of blue, his body alight with a crimson light that could only come from the deepest Hells. The black hedgehog raised his hands as a massive, roaring red projectile shot through the air, the Chaos Lance carving a destructive path through the air on its way to Sonic. The azure anthro managed to get a good footing which he used to kick off and flip over the attack and Shadow. Sonic and Shadow faced each other before shooting at each other at supersonic speeds, reeling back fists surging with their power.

The moment their knuckles touched a massive shock wave of purple launched out in all directions from the mingling of their abilities, ripping a crater into the ground as the two stood across from each other, the blue hedgehog panting while the formerly black hedgehog looked on with little emotion on his face, the Chaos Boost still causing the red energy to ripple out from his body while all of his quills stood on end. The heroes finally got back up, staring in anticipation of what would happen next.

"Please," Amy said, staring at both fighters with worry.

"You can't deter them now," Chrono stated. "Sonic cares too much about his ally Shadow to simply run while Shadow is like a demon possessed in terms of will, as he won't give up until he succeeds."

"You don't have to do this, Shadow," Sonic stated. "I don't want to have to hurt you."

"Ha! You say that as if you will be the victor," Shadow scoffed. "You are growing too dangerous and GUN needs to keep you on a leash. I will take you in!"

"Then you leave me no choice," Sonic said, suddenly lifting off of the ground and into the air, his hands curled into tight fists as his quills flying about as he began to harness and charge up energy much like he would if he was summoning upon his Super form. But then a burst of dark navy energy radiated out from him, blotting out Sonic's being like the night upon the world, his voice suddenly and slightly warped. "I'm gonna stop you here and now!"

The moment the dark cerulean wind cleared, a large, almost black aura surrounded the new form. Dusk Sonic lowered to the ground slowly, staring down the Chaos Boost enhanced Shadow with sharp violet eyes. The black hedgehog looked in shock, but he had no time to react. As the dark navy furred hedgehog's feet touched the ground he zipped forward in an instant, suddenly finding himself right before Shadow. The black hedgehog was launched up into the air by a powerful kick, though he quickly recovered and fired a massive barrage of Chaos Spears down at him from multiple angles.

Smoke rose up from the impact and Shadow hovered in the air, waiting for Sonic to rise, but in that instant the hedgehog was before Shadow, summoning massive black gales at his sides. The ultimate life form quickly reacted by smashing him with a powerful barrage of kicks full of red energy but as he flew back he suddenly warped behind Shadow with a Chaos Control of surprising speeds before unleashing a powerful new attack.

"Surrender!" Sonic demanded, his voice slightly demonic. "Sonic Tornado!"

The massive and formidable night cerulean colored gales of wind suddenly formed into a massive cyclone, shredding up everything and blotting out even the glow of the Master Emerald with Shadow being torn to bits in the center. Finally Shadow escaped the attack, ripping through the side with a few Chaos Spears before he warped behind Sonic and kicked him down towards the ground. Dusk Sonic quickly recovered and zipped in front of Shadow despite the fact he was in the middle of the air before he kicked Shadow up into the air, launched off of a few broken pieces of a pillar and instantly summoned a rotating cyan sphere and a navy sphere in each hand.

The black hedgehog looked down in shock and quickly unleashed a Chaos Blast with all of the energy he had in his body, but he used his new ability, directing a massive destructive wave of red energy through his hand with the concentrated force of a Chaos Blast. Silver quickly summoned a barrier to protect them as the Chaos Blast engulfed the entire area, a thin layer of teal energy protecting them from the force of destruction. Smoke covered the ruined shrine, only the Master Emerald being left standing on the main pillar as the ruined steps left up to it.

But then Sonic shot through the Chaos Blast, ignoring his wounds as he slammed the cyan Sonic Storm into Shadow's stomach, and then the second even before the first one could fully release. Cyan and navy whirled around each other, shredding everything and even the forest and meadows around the area as Sonic finally landed, looking at the destruction from below as his form finally powered down and his watchful violet eyes reverted back to a peaceful, calm jade.

"Hopefully that knocked him out," Sonic stated, panting heavily as his eyesight began to dim. "I haven't practiced enough with that form to make it as powerful and last long enough but at least we can keep him locked up until he sees the truth."

"You're a fool, Sonic!" Shadow stated, landing from the smoke, almost completely unharmed. "My Chaos Boost can absorb the damage for me and cancel out so I could still stay fine. Your exhaustion has finally caught up to you from using the Dusk form. Victory is mine, just as I said it would!"

And true to what he said the blue hedgehog suddenly collapsed from exhaustion, the black hedgehog walking over to his body only find Amy standing over it, tears in her eyes as Shadow stared without even a hint of concern in his eyes. One tear slipped down her face and fell on the blood staining a yellow lily, and that was the cue for her to launch forward, swinging her hammer wildly.

But without even saying a word the black hedgehog deflected her hammer with a Chaos Nightmare before he pressed his hand to her stomach, causing the Chaos Spears to shoot straight through her back before he unleashed a powerful kick which knocked her back into a pillar. Knuckles caught her before she hit the pillar, but by the time they all looked back towards Shadow, he had Sonic hoisted over his shoulder and the emerald Chaos Emerald in his left.

"Wait!" Amy screamed, but then the blue flash of light encompassed everything and by the time they recovered Shadow and Sonic were gone.

* * *

**Location: GUN City**

The new military metropolis that was GUN City was something to truly marvel at. The outer city was full of military bases, filled to the brim with troops, mechs, and weaponry of the highest caliber and technology from around the world. Eight arching metal structures curved over the city and met at a central point at the top, right over the flower-like tower that was the capital and GUN HQ of the metropolis. The GUN Fortress was spread out within the mountains that bordered the city on the side leading to the ocean and on the side leading to the valleys and the forest that was the field GUN training grounds.

Glass tunnels suspended above the outer city which was for GUN military housed the Magnetic Trains which led to the inner city, a which was where the people were housed. Hover Cars and Extreme Gear shot across the airborne street ways of the city while the Magnetic Trains slid along the rails, leading to the impressive skyscrapers and beautiful apartment complexes built for the prospering and wealthy of the United Federation.

The nighttime was beautiful for the GUN Colonel Reddin the Hawk as he stared out of the window, the starry sky glistening and complementing the glow of the skyscraper's lights. His place in Central City had been great, but his new apartment would be even more luxurious, made just for him. The red hawk rubbed the long scar running down his face and adjusted his GUN uniform as he snapped out of his daze, hoping that meal he ordered for his private train care would be here.

There were a few other commanders and colonels he had shared his car with, but he chose to not be preoccupied with them-he would have plenty of opportunities to talk to them as he spent the rest of his days doing peaceful assembly work. The tour of duty against the Dark Gaia forces in Station Square had done wonders for his ranking as he managed to hold those terrible creatures back, earning him many medals, and even though he would never be able to fight like that again the money was worth it. He could finally relax and get at least halfway normal job like he wanted way back in college.

"ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL TO THE HUNTER COMPLEXES: 10 MINUTES" the train's computer droned. Only ten minutes until real peace. Then his food arrived, the car door sliding open. He decided to not be rude and look up at the one serving him his sirloin steak. Maybe even give him a tip. Hell, the kid probably needed it.

Thank god he did. The hawk ducked as the plate was tossed at him like a disk of destruction, cracking the window as air seeped through, blowing everything about. As he looked up again he saw the one who tried to attack him, and got the shock of his life.

The figure had on light black armor, with a gray bullet proof vest. The armored being had blue lines going throughout its armor, and a high powered Assault Rifle, of what model Reddin could not tell strapped to its back along with a pouch full of Chaos Drives at its side and a blade strapped to its back as well, forming a cross. The figure wore a tight black helmet which had a dark blue visor to see through, and a small communicator hung by the side where there was a small opening to speak through. And to Reddin's surprise the vest had a small, but still legible GUN Emblem on it.

The colonels pulled their guns out, but it was useless. Before they moved the first colonel was stabbed in the neck by the figure who lunged forward, before he twisted the sword and snapped his head right off. A commander quickly fired a shot off but it was sliced in half before it even reached the armored figure. He then gasped in surprise as another one of the figures dropped through the lass roof, spraying glass everywhere as a distraction before it fired a shot into the back of the commander's head and then fired another shot into the chest of a colonel while his partner sliced the limb off of a colonel who tried to fire at him-Colonel Marcen the Bat, he thought?

"Don't move, and you don't die," the armored figure hissed, and Reddin did not dare ignore the order, his eyes wide in shock.

"That was more efficient than I thought it would be," another figure said, dropping through the roof though his being was more visible. He the very same gray fox with electrifying cyan eyes who was the GUN Ops Commander and Shadow's leader, Cyrus Tech the Fox. "Good job men. Lance, you will wipe the evidence here by the time the train heads in and Stalv will use his invisibility to take these two men in."

"Cyrus? Cyrus Tech?" Reddin questioned. "What are you _doing_?"

"What? Hard to believe a man such as myself could run the GUN Labs and a shadow GUN Ops organization too?" the fox chuckled. "You're a fool and a pig, Reddin. Just a slimy snake who got lucky and found that mother rodent to make himself bigger a little faster than everyone else."

"You won't get away with this," Reddin hissed, suddenly finding himself very weak.

"But I will. I see you feel the drug coming into effect. We like to be thorough," Cyrus smiled, almost eerily. "Besides, we will 'get away with this'. We have been doing so for longer than you were a colonel, Mr. Reddin."

And by the time he was done with the sentence both Reddin and Marcen were unconscious. As the train began to slow Stalv walked over and attached both men to himself, sheathed his katana, and fired a hook from his belt through the broken glass of the roof, pulling himself and the people strapped to him invisibly through the roof and up to a small helicopter that was barely visible in the midnight sky. And as Lance pulled out a bag, quickly disposing of the carnage in the luxury car, Cyrus merely looked on, his hands held together behind his back as his electric blue eyes showed deep thought.

"With the blue blue captured by Shadow, all of my plans are finally coming to fruition," Cyrus said. "I will finally install a true order, no matter what the cost."

And even with such a terrible plot unfolding in the dead of night, no one would know in the peaceful silence of what awaits within the city. At least until it would be too late.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: With this being my tenth chapter above 4,000 words I can now say that my chapters are nowhere near short anymore. W00t! Anyhow, Shadow unexpectedly attacked Sonic in the middle of his training and has kidnapped him for Cyrus? Who is this mysterious fox? What does he want with Sonic? How will the heroes fight back? And what is the GUN Ops planning for their new "order"? All of these answers will come soon enough with the plot of the arc emerging, so please review, every one of them counters and means so much to me and for this story. Hang tight for the next update!


	37. Uprising

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 37: Uprising

**Location: Descent Shore**

The Descent Shore was the name for the coast of the Unity River along the Sky Rail area which flowed to the ports of Central City and the coast of the Pyramid Desert. It was known as such due to the fact there was no actual shore between the sea and the mountains that eventually became Sky Rail a few miles inshore, instead being a series of smaller yet incredibly steep slopes and mountains that drop straight down into the sea, with banks of sand being kept inside some of the lower slopes. The clouds covered the rising mountains, creating a thin but permanent fog that was cold and unforgiving.

The Squadrons walked through the sandy outcroppings, moving as slow as they could with their guns held high and their red sights swathing through the white unknown around them. The world seemed to be silent as they headed through the area, searching out their target. The rogue GUN drones had to be taken care of as they descended from Sky Rail before they reached the ocean with they could easily reach the city. If they weren't now the citizens could be in danger and dealing with Ragnarok they could not afford to have any other problems.

"Keep moving," GUN Colonel Spore the Moth offered, staying at the front of the large but spread out group as they trudged through the eerie light of the fog, the world unbearably and eerily silent with their only feeling of safety being each other. The water lapped against the shore softly below them and sand shifted beneath their feet as they moved forward, eager to finish their mission as quickly as possible.

"Do you have any idea who killed all of those GUN Commanders and Colonels?" Rouge asked, holding multiple bombs in her hands as she moved up right behind Spore.

"I have no idea. The job was so clean that they could have just been considered missing if not for our expert forensic units," Spore stated, his wings tucking in.

"So someone must have planned this out," Rouge assumed, "or have been extremely well trained."

"Exactly," Spore stated as the troops spread out, covering as much ground as they could while they advanced along the Descent Shore. "But why would they do this? None of the commanders or colonels were in any sort of trouble and no one would want them dead. Two of the people could actually be considered alive if it weren't for the fact they slipped up on the other two."

"Maybe someone wants to destroy GUN," Rouge stated. "We're improving since our overall failures with the Ark Incidents, but the people still don't like us."

"By killing off a few officials? Hardly would do the job, even if this continued," Spore snorted. "It would just be an inconvenience. Everyone can be replaced."

"The whole thing seems really weird," Rouge sighed. "I hope someone can figure this out."

"Well, I have a slight feeling," Spore stated as Rouge looked at him in surprise. "I don't have any concrete evidence, but once military forces get as big as ours a shadow organization is created to regulate them and to do things not in their jurisdiction. This has been alluded to by the GUN Commander, especially with an unusual amount of people retiring in the past few years. I don't know why they would do such a thing, but who else would be able to time the attack so quickly and get out of an environment so fast without knowing it?"

"You make an extraordinary analyst, Colonel Spore."

Cyrus Tech stood at the end of one of the higher ledges, his hands held together behind his back as he looked down with a small, eerie smile on his face upon the GUN soldiers, who looked up at him with surprise and a sense of unease that fell over them. Right behind him and slightly to his left was Shadow the Hedgehog, who surveyed the squadrons with indifferent crimson eyes. Rouge looked in shock as Shadow looked down at her with only a slight sense of familiarity in his eyes. The two had not talked since GUN took Sonic into custody, as from then on Shadow was constantly on missions. And now, as she looked upon him, she sensed something very different.

"Cyrus? What are you doing here?" Spore asked.

"Finishing the job," Cyrus stated. And from high above them feint blue lights fell upon them from the visors of the countless GUN Ops agents from above, readying their weapons. "And it looks like I came just in time. If I didn't say anything, you would never know that you were right, but I did not want to leave any variables open."

"What are you trying to say? Shadow, what is this?" Rouge asked, but suddenly she was swept off of her feet. Shadow picked her off the ground despite her protests and quickly took her to safety in a flash of azure. And as the Chaos Control faded, the GUN Ops agents descended and the chaos begun.

"I wonder why human and anthro blood is such a shocking sight to people," Cyrus stated. "It is the well of life, so maybe seeing it leave a person is shocking to some. But it just seems so trivial to me Symphony."

"I guess we're trained better, I dunno," the orange hummingbird said as she landed next to him. Her striking scarlet eyes and the yellow quarter note crest on her head were the things that stuck out, along with her beautifully curved dark yellow beak. "That was fast."

And it was true. By the time she looked down again the GUN Ops were moving out in all directions except for two who began to toss the bodies down into the water, leaving behind a scene of carnage and blood. Symphony was even shocked herself as two of the agents began laid down blue mechs covered in green data that looked greatly damaged, sparking and twitching about. Cyrus meant to do a thorough job.

"GUN will simply believe that the robots were destroyed, but they managed to kill the GUN soldiers in a self destruct sequence, leaving their husks behind. They would be anomalies that kept running even after Xi's corruption was over, but now that they were destroyed and none were left things will be fine," Cyrus explained. "You would be surprised the things you can force people to easily believe in order to maintain any sort of order, despite the fact chaos is their nature. I plan to break this cycle, however.

"Are you trying to say that Phase 1 is over?" Symphony wondered, putting her helmet back on as her yellow hair flowed out of the back of the helmet.

"Yes," Cyrus stated as the other two GUN Ops agents finally leaped up to the cliff they were on. "Now that we have crippled GUN over the last few weeks with attacks on their higher officers and disrupting their networks we can finally launch the main assault. GUN will be ours, especially now that Sonic can be our conduit."

"The blue hedgehog is our conduit?" Symphony exclaimed.

"Yes, and he is a suitable one, as he also had a Chaos Core with him. As we speak, the base where the heroes I will be using are at are already taken, along with the Chaos Emerald being held there. That GUN Commander is such a fool...a Hero Regulation Program?" Cyrus said, his eerie smile fading slightly. "The very idea of GUN having authority over those 'vigilantes' is ridiculous, and as they say, unethical. Let the chaos before the order begin."

"Let's cut that short!" Cerebral said, the navy furred wolf emerging from a portal below them with his Mindspeed blade drawn. "You may have slaughtered those GUN troops but you don't stand a chance against me."

"So Nebula has finally decided to take action," Cyrus snickered. "I was wondering when he would catch on. After all, isn't he supposed to be a god?"

"How do you know that?" Cerebral asked suspiciously. "Only Ragnarok agents have been told that secret."

"Well, it becomes much more clear when you have an IQ of 350," Cyrus said bluntly. "But he should not be too disappointed with my goals. Humans are greedy, anthros are dirty, chao are too recessive, and the gods are far too ancient. I am about to take control away from all sides and create a true global utopia."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Cerebral said, "since Nebula made a big deal about me taking you out."

"I'm flattered he cares about my ambitions so greatly," Cyrus said, with a slight joking hint on the edge of his voice. "Then again, I don't really 'care' about much. It's hard for me to do so. Most of my choices are on mere whims."

"Then maybe you can die on a whim!" Cerebral roared, launching forward as the two GUN Ops agents descended towards him.

The wolf concentrated as hard as he could, his blade glowing slightly as the neurons all over his body surged with power coming down his spine. The wolf suddenly kicked off the ground in a rush of speed, piercing through the first agent's chest with Mindspeed before he could even fully draw his blade. He tossed the body through the air towards Cyrus in an act of intimidation, but the fox simply kicked the body out of the air and stomped it below him in an act of ruthlessness before breaking his neck with his boot to end it quickly.

The other GUN Ops agent was more prepared, firing his Uzi to unleash a spray of bullets upon his enemy. Cerebral quickly blocked the blows with Mindspeed as he descended, its Chaos Alloy edge able to slice the bullets instantly as they hit the edge. As he landed he suddenly charged forward, dodging the bursts of bullets as they kicked up the dust and sand around him. The wolf launched out of the ground with immense speed, and though the GUN Ops troop quickly summoned his sword the wolf shot out his hand, unleashing an invisible pulse which temporarily fried the soldier's thoughts, the Mind Override causing his to unconsciously drop both of his weapons. The wolf suddenly appeared behind him, his sword already sheathed as the agent's head lay at his feet.

"You're much more powerful than I expected in actuality," Cyrus stated as the agent's body fell to the ground and the wolf kicked his head away. "Nebula recruited for his cause well."

"Who's next? That girl standing next to you?" Cerebral taunted. "I'll kill her too."

"I can take him Cyrus," Symphony stated, pulling out her katana. "I'll make it quick."

"Don't waste your energy Symphony. I will participate in battle against him," Cyrus denied. "I'm a bit rusty from a lack of field work and maybe this will loosen me up. You can preserve him for my experiments after."

"Mind Boost!" Cerebral called out, a few droplets of blood falling from his nose as another surge of power coursed through his neurons. And so the battle begun.

The wolf launched up the side of the cliff, running with great speed before he kicked off the side as gravity took hold and lunged at his opponent, his blade coated in his aura as he shot downwards and launched for the fox. Cyrus looked at him nonchalantly and looking at the approaching attack, the conscious of Cerebral exuding from his blade in waves of power. The attack was sure to hit as the moments passed and the wolf pushed more of his will into the attack, couldn't believing that he would win so easily.

Suddenly Cyrus held out both of his hands as the sleek black gauntlets on his forearms began to spark with electricity before two sharp claws protruded out of each one, curving slightly as they extended past his fists. As the sword headed for his heart the fox ensnared the blade in his claws before snapping back in opposite directions. The move would normally break any weapon but instead the blade flew through the air as Cerebral whirled out of control. Cyrus quickly held out his palm as Cerebral passed and slammed him in the stomach, sending him flying up into the air.

"I'm a bit rusty, and I'm not the strongest Colonel," Cyrus stated, leaping up into the air above the wolf and slamming him into the ground with a powerful stomp to the chest which caused the entire cliff to drop into the sea. "So why are you so fragile then? It's difficult to comprehend."

"There's more where that came from!" Cerebral shouted, jumping off of the cliff behind Cyrus who raised his eyes slightly in a hint of what appeared to be surprise.

The fox turned around as he landed, suddenly zipping forward to both sides before shooting at Cyrus from the side. The fox jumped to the side just in time as a wave of slicing blurs shot past him again and again, the barrage of Cerebral's blows nicking him slightly. A wave of mental force shot through the fox's mind as he jumped back quickly, glaring at his opponent as his gauntlet began to shine with electrical power. The fox quickly unleashed powerful arcs of deadly electrical power but they all missed, the wolf's Mind Boost allowing him to leap to a higher cliff as the arcs ripped through the sand and stone in front of the fox, who stared without any sort of emotion at his opponent.

"So, you can summon electricity?" Cerebral snorted. "So could Metal Sonic, and he's in hiding."

"It would be more fortunate for you if that was merely the extent of my abilities," Cyrus sneered. "In fact, you haven't showed me the extent of yours, Cerebral the Wolf. Hit me with what you have, I promise you I won't move."

"You should have said so sooner!" Cerebral laughed, holding out the tip of his sword before an almost invisible projectile of cerulean energy launched through the air at Cyrus like a rocket. "Mind Shot!"

Cerebral and Symphony waited for Cyrus to move, but he stood in the face of the impact, unfazed. The fox staggered as his head snapped back, and he held his hand and hissed slightly as pain and Cerebral's influence pierced into every crack of his brain. The wolf grinned as Cyrus recovered, ignoring the growing force within his own mind. Symphony looked in shock, she couldn't believe Cyrus became so vulnerable for a moment. The fox glared at Cerebral with his electrifying blue eyes as the force became more and more significant.

"It looks like I win already. You're not as good as you claim to be," Cerebral boasted, leaping down to where Cyrus was. "I've already won."

"I have already figured out your ability," Cyrus stated. "You can exert your own influence over the minds of others through electrical neuron signals at the very finest level of the nervous systems. Impressive, I must say. It has limitless potential."

"The detective work was nice, but it's already over," Cerebral said, suddenly focusing all of his force on Cyrus' brain. "I can just override your mind now so I can take you in to Nebula."

"It's amusing that Nebula seems to care about me so suddenly, but I have already ended this," Cyrus said.

When he looked up at Cerebral, his light electric blue eyes were suddenly cold as hell. It was if the world's hope was there and then it was gone in an instant, leaving a feeling of absolute desolation. The was a malice-no, there wasn't even malice, just an incredible sophistication supplementing a complete lack of emotion that can never be replicated. The wolf suddenly realized all in a flash that he never saw the real Cyrus, and he was going to get just a glimpse of the real Cyrus.

"See, your ability relies on willpower. It can initiate a connection, but you have to have a stronger will and mind to be able to become the mast of that connection." Cyrus said. "You didn't have a chance of winning. Everything I let you do was only for me to prove my theories. In reality, I had enough plans to fight you for hours if the need arose."

"I will not lose!" Cerebral said, pushing even harder in the struggle. But Cyrus suddenly had a wave of force that crashed down upon Cerebral like a tidal wave flooding over and destroying a whole existence. Visions of blood, destruction, chaos, intelligence, anarchy, and things laying dormant within the fox genius' mind flashed into Cerebral's mind and they instantly overwhelmed him.

Suddenly the wolf flew back, skidding across the area. He suddenly screamed out from mental agony, any semblance of sanity gone. The wolf stared open wide at Cyrus, knowing the true mastermind behind the veil and feeling a fear he never felt before. He tried to recover, but there was nothing to recover his mind with, at least not anymore. A large black aircraft resembling a helicopter emerged from the mist, which dropped a ladder for Cyrus and Symphony. She climbed up first while Cyrus turned to look back at Cerebral one last time, a deadly glint in his eye.

"This is just the beginning, Cerebral the Wolf. By the time you report back the war would have started, and then it would start," Cyrus said. "And by the way, you should warn Nebula. After all, when my New World Order is instated there will be no room for Ragnarok and you won't stand a shred of a chance."

And with that the vehicle disappeared into the unforgiving mist once more, leaving the wolf to scream out again now that his sanity was torn away from him.

* * *

**Location: Central City**

The capital city was in chaos. Black clad figures raced through the city, destroying all GUN forces in their way as black colored GUN mechs attacked the stronger forces from below and the Ops Helicopters attacked from above. Smoke and fire rose up from the city as civilians screamed and fled for their lives, many of their own laying in pools of blood in the streets. Explosions peppered the city from an air strike as Shadow looked on, many thoughts swirling within his own mind.

The black hedgehog had heard of the main parts of the plan from Cyrus, and he was impressed. Already the GUN Commander believes that someone wrested control of GUN from Cyrus, and those like Shadow, Symphony, Stalv, and Lance would not have to worry about being caught as the higher ups could work in the shadows. Right now the device was being created in one of the most remote regions of the world, and soon enough the violent and chaotic bloodshed would end and give to a New World Order.

"I wish you could see this the way I have," Shadow said, the bound Rouge struggling behind him as another powerful explosion rocked the city and caused the Magnet Rail train lines to collapse alone with multiple blocks in every direction. "Maria will finally be able to see the peace that she longed for so much. I hope she's watching, just like we will."

"Fuck you Shadow," Rouge said, tears pouring from her face. "This isn't what Maria would have wanted. You can join the heroes and solve this before its too late."

"Maria wouldn't want this," Shadow stated, "because this is just the start. This world will be changed forever. There will be no suffering. When it's all done you'll see what Cyrus has done. You had your chance Rouge. I'm sorry, but you'll have to join Omega now."

The cliff was then lit up with a Chaos Control before the bat could say anything and by the time the light faded they were gone.

* * *

**Location: Digital Circuit**

Tails and the hooded figure walked through the halls of the GUN Network, the sentries passing the two almost invisible programs by. They walked through the halls silently as data flowed past all of them in different directions, but suddenly the hooded figure stopped in his tracks. Tails walked ahead for a bit, but he realized that the hooded figure wasn't moving again; it wasn't just him pondering a thought. The data suddenly increased and turned to a dark red shade: something bad must be going on in the real world.

"Is everything okay?" Tails asked. "Is it Ragnarok?"

"It seems like the threat is from another military. The data looks that way from what I've seen since I've been here," 'Cyrus' said. "It must be a shadow force, as there is no known force large enough to even stand a chance against GUN."

"That wouldn't be enough to make you stop," Tails realized. "I'm beginning to know you a bit better than that."

"You be correct, fortunately," 'Cyrus' confirmed. "In fact, there is some sort of rift between the real world and the GUN Network."

"So you mean I can finally get back to the real world?" Tails exclaimed.

"Yes, theoretically. We should hurry though, it can close at any minute," 'Cyrus' suggested.

"Let's go!" Tails said, dashing for a moment before stopping again. "But wait, what about you?"

"I can stay here," 'Cyrus' sighed. "It's been long since I've had a companion, but time is short and another will come soon."

"Don't think like that!" Tails shouted. "My Energy Cannon can take you into it from the nearest port and I can upload you from it or my computer. I care about you enough to do that for you."

"I'm honored you would do such a thing," 'Cyrus' admitted, "but now is not the time to deal with that. Let's go before the opening closes."

The two then dashed off through the corridors, feeling the opening that separated the two worlds. But while Tails could only see a means of escape, 'Cyrus' knew better. There had to be a reason there was an opening now that a distress had been sent out, and what was on the outside could only be worse than what was inside for the two of them.

_To Be Continued..._

**A/N: This chapter is finally done! I'm sorry it took so long, but I've been going through a lot and writer's block didn't help. But I guarantee that updates will be coming super fast. I want to make this arc awesome while I have this spurt of creativity right now! So now Cyrus has driven Cerebral insane, but at what cost? What is this great New World Order that everyone is talking about tat Cyrus is planning through his war? Why are there two of Cyrus? And why is there an opening to the real world in the GUN Network? These questions will be answered in the next few chapters? So review and hang tight for the awesome revelations that are to come soon!**


	38. Deception

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 38: Corruption

**Location: Prison Island**

Rouge and Omega sat in Professor Gerald's prison cell, shackled to opposite walls. The metal walkways extended far past the rows of cells that compromised the highest security block. Most of the island was still toxic radiation, but the GUN Ops realized that made things easier as escaping into the forest became an impossibility, with the increased security and radiation sickness. Now the masked assassins covered inch of the island with their unique mechs and soldiers after killing the few squads that covered the ruined island.

"Are you certain that it was Shadow and not one of his remote androids?" Omega questioned.

"I'm sure," Rouge sighed, tears still drying up on her face. "There aren't many of those guys still running around thinking they're him. Besides, he tore up Sonic pretty bad, and that chaos energy was unmistakable."

"It could be a form of mind control," Omega stated.

"Shadow's stronger than that," Rouge said. "There is no doubt it was truly him. I don't know what Cyrus told him, but it must've been convincing. Maybe we're the ones in the wrong. Cyrus is the smartest man I've ever met, after all."

"Incorrect!" Omega claimed, highly determined. "He may be smart, but Cyrus Tech is the raw of definition of a ruthless psychopath. There's a reason he's trying to hide from the GUN Commander, because if he was discovered his dark intentions would be revealed to the wrong people."

"It doesn't matter, anyway," Rouge said. "Sonic's captured, Tails is gone, Knuckles is injured pretty badly, Shadow is working with the enemy, who happens to be the smartest man on the planet, and we're here. They already won."

"I cannot form a counter to that," Omega said as Rouge turned to face him, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. "But I can take a quote from Professor Gerald to guide you through our hardship."

"I'm listening," Rouge nodded, bitterness coating her tongue. "We have nothing better to do then to rot."

"Even when all hope is lost, and you have lost your way," Omega began, causing Rouge to pay full attention to such moving words, "never forget that when you connect with someone, you leave a piece of yourself, a touch that will never erase from their memories and their hearts. And in your darkest hour, those touches will culminate and become the beacon of light to guide you to a better place."

The two sat in silence, pondering the meaning of such deep and meaningful words. And then all of a sudden, one of the scratched in equations on the side of the wall glowed, as it was coming alive from the words of its writer being spoken. And then all at once a shining yellow portal, writhing with codes of red data suddenly appeared in the air, and in that instant Rouge and Omega's chaos sucking chains broke, allowing them freedom. The two looked in shock for a moment before they stood up, staring at the very mysterious portal before them.

"How on earth did this get here?" Rouge wondered. "You were just saying that quote from him...and then..."

"It must have been a verbal code to open some sort of escape," Omega said. "This is Professor Gerald Robotnik's cell, and before he could escape he probably went insane. If we close it on the other side with the verbal code, no one will follow us and then we can escape."

"Then let's go before someone sees us," Rouge urged.

The two nodded, and before the next patrol could switch off they stepped through the portal, allowing their bodies to be absorbed into the data and disappear into the unknown that laid beyond its yellow depths.

* * *

**Location: Digital Circuit**

The yellow portal relinquished the two GUN agents, who landed on the purple pathway with yellow lines of data flowing through its surface. Omega immediately turned around and recited the verbal code again to close the portal, while Rouge looked around the area. There was no ground level to the unique area, which fell into a black abyss. The ceiling to the areas around them constantly changed and were like pathways below them but much larger and inverted, with data streams flying about the air like streams of wind, having minds of their own.

She had only been here once before, but it was no mistaking that they were close to the center of the GUN Network. The portal closed behind them and they began walking up the incline and through the massive structure in front of them, passing by the GUN Sentries who instantly recognized and ignored them. They looked around, attempting to gain their whereabouts so they could find one of the many exits to the Digital Circuit. Rouge recognized the red streams of data flying past them frantically-the world would be shaken by the conflict outside until they could escape and get to the bottom of this, which urged them forward.

"The central towers are far ahead, but they could lead us to our escape," Omega said. "We should go towards them."

"Maybe, but we may not be able to unless we want those streams of data to tear us apart," Rouge said, looking towards a plug in the wall. "Upload your circuits in the plug, Omega."

The robot nodded and held his claw out, which suddenly shifted into a massive plug which fit snugly into the wall's socket. Arcs and bolts of electricity and data passed in between the two before the robot's eye lit up with data-he was connected to the entire GUN Network. Rouge waited patiently, trying not to think of Shadow as the data steams and GUN Sentries passed by them and through the corridors all around them leading to the rest of the network. Finally Omega retracted his plug and looked at Rouge, his hand turning back into a claw.

"Two unique programs that are not security threats are traveling to the west through the southeast corridor, one of them having the appearance of Miles Prower," Omega reported.

"Tails is in here?" Rouge exclaimed. "That's great! He's got the intelligence to get us out of here with our info you just downloaded."

"We can intercept him through the southwest corridor," Omega said, turning towards it.

"Then let's go!" Rouge stated, the two dashing through through the southwest hallways at their fastest speeds, catching up to Tails and his ally before GUN was destroyed by Cyrus' forces.

* * *

**Location: Emerald Beach**

The GUN Commander walked alongside Cyrus as they headed for the GUN base along the beach that overlooked the Guardian Ocean that separated the United Federation from Shamar and Chun-Nan. The area around them was peaceful, as Emerald Beach was guarded on all sides and the conflict was focused much more in the North, but the GUN Commander could feel the tenseness among the soldiers in the air-everyone was aware of the war that was unfolding. The two walked through the ranks of GUN soldiers and through the gate to the imposing GUN base in front of them, filled to the brim with armaments and soldiers, waiting for even the slightest sign of trouble.

"The situation is getting worse Cyrus," the GUN Commander sighed as they entered the base, troops saluting them as they headed past the docking bays. "I want you to explain how you lost control."

"I deeply apologize for what happened, sir," Cyrus said as they went through a few corridors and ascended a small staircase, "I thought everything was stable. But then all of a sudden they drugged me, stating that they had a new leader. When I woke up, the conflict had already begun. I know about as much as you do, besides that."

"Are there any GUN Ops who are not working against us?" the GUN Commander wondered as they walked down a tight corridor which led to the control room of the base. "We need to know now to see if they can be double agents. We know nothing about them and need someone on the inside."

"Shadow the Hedgehog, Lance the Wolf, Stalv the Chameleon, and Symphony the Hummingbird are confirmed to still be working for GUN," Cyrus stated as they entered the control room. Only four GUN agents were in the room, looking over the entire base. "Due to me being partly responsible for allowing this to happen, I have already requested them to begin working on the inside. They are trying to gather what they can, but gaining concrete information is difficult as each GUN Ops is told only what they need to know."

"I understand," the GUN Commander said as he walked up to the control panel. Cyrus stared at him from behind as he looked over the controls for a moment, deep in thought. "Continue to do what you are doing, Cyrus. This betrayal was probably the worst for you out of all of us, though I believe in the end that your career will not be too damaged. No one could have saw this coming, and I highly doubt that you will be blamed."

"You astound me sir, not for your leadership but for your _stupidity_," Cyrus stated, the other GUN soldiers turning to him in shock as he balled his fists up, causing the door to slide shut and the shutters to fall over the control room window. "What would possibly make you think that it wouldn't be me? Someone as smart as me, letting someone take control from under my nose? What a foolish notion."

"What are you saying?" the GUN Commander asked in fright, turning towards him with eyes wide.

"It must be truly horrifying to face your enemy, the enemy of the state, in the eyes of a man who thought him to be one of GUN's greatest heroes," Cyrus stated. "And I want to let you know that fear gives the great thing I will ever attain akin to satisfaction."

"When? When did you betray us?" the GUN Commander asked. "Why?"

"The only thing that matters that I have not betrayed is the world," Cyrus explained with an eerie calm. "This is just the suffering before the peace, like cutting the brown leaf from the beautiful green root."

"What are you planning?" the GUN Commander demanded, pulling out his pistol. "What does this mean?"

"I will create a New World Order, emerging from the remains of the wretched society GUN has helped to create, which will only devour itself," Cyrus said, summoning the electrified claws from his arm gauntlets. "And nothing will stop me, not Ragnarok, not the gods, not the Chosen, not those 'heroes', not Metal, not GUN, and most certainly not you."

"Eliminate Cyrus Tech the Fox, the enemy of the state!" the GUN Commander shrieked, pointing the gun at him.

The fox ducked as one of the GUN soldiers fired at him from overhead, and then he cartwheeled to the side as the GUN Commander attempted to take a shot. The fox pushed off of the ground to avoid a few mores hots before he unleashed arcs of electricity from his hand which formed into an orb of lightning that smashed a GUN agent with enough volts to kill five people. The fox flew back from the recoil before he flipped over and smashed his foot into another GUN agent's head, causing him to fall back on the control panel.

"Don't hurt me," the GUN agent pleaded.

"I'm sorry then," Cyrus apologized mockingly, slitting his throat before he leaped back, blood spraying across his face.

The fox leaped off of the panel and through the air as gunfire flew past him, one almost taking off his neck but instead just grazing his skin. The fox landed behind a GUN agent and spun around quickly before placing a palm on the soldier's back, shocking him with brilliant blue sparks of electricity. Another GUN agent fired at him from across the room, but he just dropped down and slammed his palm into the ground, sending waves of lightning through the floor which came up under him and shot him across the room. The GUN Commander looked at his fallen comrades and attempted to fire at Cyrus one more time but he held one of his gauntlets in the way, which reflected the bullet off like a small pebble.

"That is still one thing that constantly pervades this world's condition...despair," Cyrus said, slapping the gun out of his hand. "You should be happy, even as you come closer to death, that you will be one of the last people to feel true despair."

"Fuck you," the GUN Commander spat as Cyrus sauntered over to him, retracting one of his gauntlets and charging the other. "You won't win."

"But I already have," Cyrus scoffed as gunfire echoed throughout the air. "Listen, you can hear the screams of your men. They should conquer this stronghold any moment now. Goodbye."

The GUN Ops agents entered the room, led by Shadow and Symphony just as Cyrus impaled the GUN agent in the heart with his claw. Electricity ripped across the man's body as his words were stolen from him, his last image being of Cyrus' deathly cold eyes as his entire body began to shut down. Blood poured on Cyrus' arm as the the GUN Commander fell limp, just before the fox kicked him off of his grip. Shadow stared with a slight look of indecision on his face, but the hummingbird just snickered in a sick delight.

"And now, if Lance and Stalv succeed, GUN will plunge into absolute chaos," Cyrus predicted as the GUN Ops agents walked past him and cleaned up the mess. "Take the survivors to the private labs. It's been a while since I kept up with my experimentations, after all."

* * *

**Location: Digital Circuit**

Tails and Cyrus dashed though the corridor, red codes of data flying past them as their feet tapped against the shifting cubes they were standing on which brimmed with codes of data. The two looked down and then leaped off, landing on a large hexagonal purple platform with lines of light rushing through them. The two looked as the GUN Sentries rushed back and forth, beeping frantically as they attempted to relay information about what was happening. 'Cyrus' looked ahead of them nonchalantly, the black cloak that covered his entire form flapping slightly from the force of their descent.

"What's the matter?" Tails asked.

"There are two signatures just above us, and they are powerful," 'Cyrus' told him. "I don't think your Energy Cannon is operating at optimal efficiency, but you may need it. They're hostile."

"Fire Style: Downpour Flare!" the green chameleon exclaimed as he fell from above, his skintight GUN Ops uniform moving perfectly to his form as he blew out, unleashing a massive wave of flames upon the GUN Sentries ho suddenly all unleashed bursts of gunfire up at him. But despite their gunfire, they stood no chance as the flames suddenly burst apart into searing embers shaped like rain which incinerated everything it touched.

"Energy Shield!" Tails stated, putting his Energy Cannon on and summoning a translucent orange shield which deflected the fiery rain around them. The fox turned off his Energy Shield as smoke rose off of the platform, rising up to their waists. Another Black Ops member landed behind the chameleon, both of their helmets folding into their collars as their faces became more visible.

The chameleon had dark green leathery skin, and a sharp silver horn along with light gray eyes and a pale muzzle. He also had similar gloves to Espio, save for the fact that the actual glove part was made of a jet black fabric. The wolf behind him had amber fur, golden eyes, and gray hair that went down to his neck, as well as a belt that not only had Chaos drive hanging from it but daggers and knives as well as a few pistols, while the larger firearms were strapped on his back by his katana. The two GUN Ops agents looked at the two as the remains of the GUN Sentries fell apart all around them, a look of determination in their eyes.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Tails asked. "And why were those robots attacking you?"

"Boy, you've got a lot of questions," the wolf chuckled. "I'm Lance, and the chameleon's Stalv. We're here with the Cyber Liberators, and we're going to destroy the GUN Network."

"What?" Tails exclaimed. "Why?"

"Listen, that is none of your concern," Stalv said, his voice gravely and coated with ice. "Keep moving and stay out of this. Otherwise, I assure your death will come."

"Oh, hey, this is that Miles Prower kid who sacrificed himself to destroy Xi and Ix!" Lance realized. "Never thought we would find you here. And I don't know who that guy is, but he feels like him...is that you, Cyrus?"

"I _was_ once him," 'Cyrus' revealed. "But now I am just a fragment of what remains."

"Who's Cyrus?" Tails demanded. "And why is he so important?"

"Wow, you know nothing about what's going on out there, do you?" Lance laughed. "There's a war, us Cyber Liberators, formerly GUN's secret Ops unit, against all of GUN. Even Ragnarok can't fend us off. It's pure chaos, pure ecstasy!"

"And Cyrus Tech is a Colonel of GUN, the head of the GUN Labs, the smartest man in the world, and the secret head of the Cyber Liberators," Stalv explained. "We are the highest rank of agents in our shadow organization, which is why I recommend we part ways lest you want your life to be cut short. I've killed children before."

"What do you want to do, Tails?" 'Cyrus' asked. "You can't fight as well with your technology in here, and I am merely a fragment. I cannot fight at all."

"I'm not letting them go," Tails answered. "We may be stuck in here, but I'm still a hero, and I can't just let them go."

"Then prepare to die," Stalv hissed, suddenly tossing his katana straight at the yellow fox without hesitation. "Light Rod Jutsu!"

The blade suddenly extended even more through strand of light which ripped apart everything in a path of destruction as the blade spun like a destructive windmill. Tails stood directly in its path, frozen like a deer caught in headlights, but 'Cyrus' shoved him from the side, the two moving just out of the way as the blade tore the platform in half. The two halves fell away from each other as they descended down the chasm, but as Tails looked around both Liberators were gone. But then all of a sudden, Stalv grabbed his katana out of the air as it returned to normal before he dived at Tails with lethal intentions.

"Die!" Stalv shouted.

"Give this as a message to Shadow from me!" a familiar voice shouted.

Stalv turned to the right towards the voice as he suddenly received a powerful kick to the face from Rouge, tears still drying on her face and ferocity in her eyes. The bat grabbed him as he spun in the air and kicked him downwards, sending him spiraling down to the ground. The GUN agent followed him and grabbed him while in the air, spinning him around before slamming him into the ground far below them, cracking the glass surface of the floor. Rouge tried to stomp him again, but he rolled to the left before he dodged a barrage of gunfire from Omega with a backwards flip over him.

"You hit hard," Stalv admitted, spitting a wad of blood out of his mouth before he sheathed his katana. "So you're the bat Shadow was talking about. I don't know why he cares for you so much still, you're far too emotionally dependent."

"Rouge!" Tails shouted in surprise.

"Hi Tails," Rouge said, barely registering him over her anger. "Honestly, fuck you. Do you want to know why I'm emotional? My club in Central City was burnt to the ground by a bomb, my best friend is working for you assholes, and then he's preaching all this bullshit as he kidnaps me and then throws me in Prison Island. I don't even know what I'm going to do once I get out in the real world, and I don't know who to trust anymore. So the next time you think of standing in my way, I'll put aside my emotions for a second and replace it with the drive to break your fucking throat!"

"I will never get on her bad side," 'Cyrus' murmured to himself.

"Rouge the Bat and E-123 Omega of Team Dark," Stalv stated. "I never imagined I would have to combat even more of you heroes. But nonetheless, Lance has already made his way to the core, so I presume you should leave before you are pulled into the abyss of data left behind from the collapse."

"Oh crap," Tails muttered before the four rushed past the chameleon, who faded in a cloud of smoke.

As they rushed through the corridors towards the light, a massive shaking suddenly captured the Digital Circuit as the steams of data began to whirl out of control and the digital structures around them began to fall apart. Tails held out his Energy Cannon to 'Cyrus', who nodded and burst apart into gray data streams which then absorbed themselves into his unique weapons. Suddenly a wave of devouring data was rushing towards them from all sides and they reached out towards the portal, being overtaken by a pure white light...

* * *

**Location: Pyramid Base**

The three heroes were launched out of the portal, being tossed onto the dirty floor below them. Tails groaned as the three stood up, finding themselves in an unlikely location: Eggman's old base from the second Ark Incident, directly in the control room. The fox looked over the control panel, and the old aircraft from Eggman's arsenal in front of them. Omega gazed out of the open roof as Rouge took a breather, emotionally exhausted. The massive fleet of black aircrafts flying overhead even seemed to blot out the setting sun, drifting towards Central City in the distance.

"Isn't that the Air Fleet?" Rouge asked.

"Yes, the largest existing fleet of warfare aircraft on the planet, owned by GUN," Omega stated.

"If its owned by GUN, then why does this control panel state it is sending out wholly different transmissions?" Tails wondered.

"It must have been taken over," Rouge realized. "The warheads in those fleets could do some serious damage. We need to alert the heroes."

"I'm going to send out an alert to the bases in Coastal Valley, Mystic Ruins, and Angel Island, but they probably won't respond in time if it has really been taken over," Tails advised. "We need to do something now. GUN will think they're allies, and then won't be able to respond when it blows Central City off the map. And with the GUN Network gone, they won't stand a chance. Millions will die."

The three of them looked towards the remaining, ancient aircraft left in the center of the larger ring that was the control room, and Rouge sighed heavily.

"Like I need this right now."

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: I know, this chapter was ridiculously eventful. Soak it in, folks, because the next three chapters of this arc are just eventful if not more. The pace will be picking up. Next chapter will involve the first meeting of Tails and Cyrus to continue the second part of this arc through this chapter. Now even more question are arising. What will happen on the Air Fleet? What is Cyrus truly planning with the Cyber Liberators? Does Shadow still really care for Rouge? And what is really happening with the rest of the heroes? You'll find out every question except for the third next chapter so hang tight for the next chapter, The Poison!


	39. The Poison

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 39: The Poison

**Location: Air Fleet**

The Air Fleet cruised towards Central City in its state of chaos, its massive airships blanketing the sky above as long shadows cast filtering dim light down on the Unity Sea below. The sun was just beginning to set and the orange glow made the tops of the airships glisten, while the orange glow made the ships appear as giant black harbingers in the sky. In the distance which came closer and closer bursts of smoke and flames began to pop up over the massive skyscrapers of Central City, which the Cyber Liberators who were perched on every part of the ship were well aware of.

"Hang tight!" Tails said as they leaped off of the side of Eggman's ship and onto a walkway. The ship they were on spiraled out of control and smashed into the side of another Air Fleet airship, bursting in a massive explosion of scarlet flames which blew open a massive hole in the ship's side.

"That was an uncomfortable landing," Rouge remarked. "Every bone in my body is aching from the fall."

"You can say that again. The outside world feels a little unfamiliar. I was in there for a month without knowing how much time has has passed, after all," Tails said.

"I couldn't imagine," Rouge nodded. "Don't wear yourself out sweetie. We can wait a while if you need to."

"Don't worry, I can take care of myself," Tails assured. "Should we get going?"

"Incoming allies approaching!" Omega reported, much to the shock of his friends.

At that moment, the side of the Air Fleet was punched through, sending Chrono flying onto the platform. The tanuki's impact made a dent in the walkway as he coughed up some blood, only for the hummingbird to land where Chrono rolled out of. Symphony laughed as Chrono jumped to his feet and picked up his claymore, holding it out in front of him as she drew her katana and suddenly opened her mouth.

The song produced was powerful yet smooth and calming, and the fox would have fell into peace if it wasn't for the massive rings of sound that tore up the walkway as they rushed towards Chrono. The tanuki's eyes flashed as the attack was just upon him, instead freezing it in time. Trickles of blood fell from the tanuki's mouth but he quickly wiped it away, turning to the heroes while Amy, Fang, and Phase jumped through the opening the side of the airship and onto a higher walkway.

"You must be that Tails kid that was missing," Chrono stated. "Let's make this quick. My time abilities are running out fast."

"Tails!" Amy squealed. "You're alive!"

"Hey, Amy!" Tails shouted in return. "How did you guys get here?"

"We've been busy trying to help out GUN as much as we can, but it isn't working," Phase told them. "The more we defeat, the more emerge."

"They are a shadow organization. It is nigh impossible to tell how many of them there truly are," Omega stated.

"We found out about this when one of these GUN fellows getting captured by these guys sent out a disturbance high enough only to get to Angel Island. This was our only lead so here we are!" Fang laughed, his sanity questionable.

"How did you get out, anyway?" Amy asked, sliding down a rail to the lower walkway and hugging the life out of Tails.

"I'll...explain later...but...you're crushing...me!" Tails wheezed, the hedgehog finally letting go of him.

"We need to get the head of this ship. It's not the main one, but if we can take hold of the cannons then we can blow the others out of the sky and the bombs will just burst in on themselves in the ocean instead of wiping out an entire region," Phase said.

"Wait...an entire region?" Rouge exclaimed. "They're that powerful?"

"That's what the GUN soldier's emergency signal said," Amy nodded. "And the Cyber Liberators already evacuated from Prison Island, because the blast will reach all the way back to Pyramid Desert, and imagine that all the way around! They're going to destroy the capital for their last act to take over the United Federation."

But at that moment the heroes turned as the time bubble around Symphony shattered, allowing her attack to rip through the walkway unhampered. The walkway fell apart past the sound waves, leaving Symphony standing over thin air as the heroes leaped up onto a perpendicular walkway, the shattered pieces of another one falling down into the ocean below. Fang suddenly fired at another railing which Lance descended from, firing from his twin pistols as well. The bullets deflected each other rapidly in booms of power as the wolf landed on the walkway, relinquishing one of his pistols for his katana.

"That wolf destroyed the GUN Network!" Tails realized.

"I'm going to destroy a little bit more than that," Lance grinned, "I assure you of that!"

The wolf launched himself at the weasel, who jumped to the side and fired off a wave of bullets. The wolf deflected the bullets with his own before he leaped into the air and punched the weasel across the face. Fang flipped back before he got to his feet just in time to block the deadly katana off of one of his pistols. The two struggled, but as they did Phase jumped up behind him, unleashing a fist down at his head.

The wolf instinctively fired a bullet up at her head which should have killed her instantly. But right before impact her figure burst apart into a storm of red particles which shifted around him and bound him in the air. The head and fist of the salamander formed from some of the particles and slammed him in the stomach with enough force to dent the walkway. The particles then formed back into Phase who landed beside Fang before picking up Lance's katana and throwing it off of the ship.

"Fuck you for the sword," Lance hissed. "That was mine!"

Meanwhile, Symphony rushed forward, unleashing a swipe from her sword at Chrono only to have it repelled by the sole of Rouge's boots before she kicked Symphony across the face. The hummingbird dropped to the ground and rolled back before he tossed the katana forward through the air. Rouge and Chrono dodged it only for it to carve a path for Tails. The fox was saved just in the moment of time by Omega, who grabbed the sword out of the air and tried to throw it overboard. But then he noticed the chain that held the sword to its hilt, which Symphony pulled back into her grasp.

"Take this!" she shouted, crying out with a beautiful series of notes.

The group jumped back as they prepared for another blast of sound waves, but instead a massive whirlwind of screeching sound waves came from below them, sucking in the entire walkway, propelling Symphony up to one by Lance, Fang, and Phase. Debris and the heroes were spun around and shredded before they were tossed out the top, getting thrown onto another walkway. The hummingbird landed by them, grinning as she sheathed her katana and pulled out a Chaos Drive, crushing it into her hand as the energy surged throughout her body.

"I have more energy reserves than all of you guys," Symphony stated. "I can regenerate my powers with these Chaos Drives, so I'll last longer than all of you."

"Reserves don't mean anything," Chrono stated, coughing up a little more blood. "There's seven of us against two of you, you're both still winded from fighting us before they showed up, and most of us can still keep fighting. This is a losing battle."

"You're right," Symphony grinned, to the surprise of the heroes. "But we spared enough time. The Air Fleet isn't too far from Central City now. You better hurry along, kids!"

And then her and Lance nodded, suddenly shooting out hooks which grappled to the side of another ship. Fang fired after them as they were dragged away but their trajectory was far too fast-they vanished around the under side before any shot could land. Fang and Phase leaped down to where the rest of the heroes were, the seven taking a moment to rest before they moved on. Tails shivered as he felt true cold for the first time-the clouds were just about them, casting a hazy yellow light down upon the Air Fleet.

"We have to hurry. The bombs have already been loaded at this point, so all they have to do is cross the water and it's over," Chrono stated, wiping tears of blood from his eyes. "I've already seen it. That was why Symphony and Lance attacked us."

"Don't kill yourself!" Amy said, giving him her heat shaped handkerchief. "Ease up on the time stuff. You don't need to exhaust yourself anymore."

"I'm...fine, Amy," Chrono assured, picking up his claymore and sheathing it. "I'll be fine. Let's go, we don't have much time. I'll take Phase and Rouge down to the cannons and see if we can do anything about them. The rest of you, head to the control room. The targeting systems are in there."

"Useful abilities," Tails commented, "with a heavy price."

"You're telling me," Chrono said, "Also, watch out when you get there. There will be company for you."

With that Chrono, Rouge, and Omega leaped off of the side of the walkway, landing on the one of an adjoining airship before heading into its depths. Tails looked at Omega, Amy, and Fang and nodded before they rushed down the walkway and into the depths of the airship. Black hallways emerged at their sides as they rushed past the Cyber Liberator troops, bullets flying all around them as they rushed through as fast they could. The hallways broke out into massive rooms where walkways hovered over the massive engines and the turbulent air below.

Tails looked around as the unconscious and gassed GUN soldiers were being held hostage by some Cyber Liberators while others were patrolling, that was, until they saw them. The fox realized how different this scenario was from when the Black Arms were on the Air Fleet with him and Shadow. The Black Arms were smart, had lots of numbers, and were very deadly, but this was a smooth effort, planned out with efficient troops, deadly precision, and impressive knowledge to undermine any resistance efforts. If it wasn't for that lone GUN soldier, then they wouldn't ave even known and it would have been a flawless plan.

They were dealing with a serious conspiracy, one that must have been in planning for at least a decade.

The fox continued to rush through the room as he snapped out of his thoughts, but suddenly the exit of the room was blocked by a massive jet black mech, like the GUN Walkers but with massive chain guns for arms. The four saw that they could not go around it and so they stood their ground as the Cyber Liberator within readied his controls, the massive chain guns of the Cyber Walker then loading.

"Move!" Omega shouted as the streams of bullets ripped through the walkway, some GUN Soldiers, and even the cables. The massive boom of the thundering gunshots rocked the air and everything it touched as even the walkway began to shake from the power of the massive chain guns.

"The force of those bullets are going to tear apart the entire walkway!" Amy shrieked. "What is he doing?"

"I think that could be an intention. Cyrus probably wants to do anything to keep us away from the control room," Rouge stated. "Besides, the Cyber Walker can fly, remember?"

The walker fired at Amy, and in response she blocked a few blows off the edge of her hammer before she was forced to dodge the rest. The mech began to reload as she launched at it, but it quickly unleashed a beam of chaos energy from a cannon right under the narrow head of the walker which smashed her into the walkway and then through it. As she dangled from the edge of the crater the mech opened up its missile compartment before firing directly at her.

But in the nick of time Rouge kicked the missile out of the way, allowing it to spiral out into the air before self destructing. The Cyber Walker moved to fire more missiles at them again, but Tails was suddenly behind the mech, causing it to turn around. The fox fired a powerful Energy Sphere directly into the face of the Cyber Walker, creating a powerful impact of orange explosions which added with Omega's gatling guns tore the mech apart and caused it to fall through the walkways to the ocean below.

"That mech was more powerful than any of GUN's, except for the prototype Diablon used in the Black Arms invasion," Tails stated. "How was all of this made behind GUN's back?"

"Cyrus, that's who," Rouge hissed. "Come on, we don't have much time."

"We can't make it to the bridge in time thanks to Symphony and Lance," Amy said. "The bombs have already been loaded and Central City is so close. I mean, the water's far more shallow."

"I have discovered an alternative route," Omega declared, shooting a missile into the wall which blew a large hole, smoke billowing from it. "Follow me."

The three did, Omega hovering while Rouge and Tails flew with Amy being pulled along by them. They landed on the floor on the opposite side of the wall, which was revealed to be a wide blue hallway. The our follow it to the end, which opened up to a massive room full of control panels and other assortments. A dozen Cyber Liberators walked around and another dozen sat at the control, piloting the massive airship.

Finally the ones not at the controls began to notice the heroes, but Rouge decided not to take any chances. She leaped into the air and scattered her heart bombs, and as the Cyber Liberators attacked the group of heroes leaped behind a wall. The knockout gas from it was fast and effective, and by the time they looked back out the gas had settled, leaving all of them unconscious at the wheels. Omega quickly took the controls from an Ops troop, steadying the vehicle while pressing the buttons for the cannons.

"Wow, it is helpful to have a robot on your side who can do things like this," Amy commented, looking out of the control room through the glass as Central City came closer and closer. "But Chrono said there would be some company here, and we dealt with those guys pretty fast. What did he mean?"

"I will admit, I did see a flaw in my plan. No one should have contained the knowledge as to what we were planning to do," Cyrus said over the intercom. "But, you still cannot stop me. I have been planning this for years and there is nothing you can do."

"Cyrus!" Rouge hissed. "What have you done to Shadow?"

"Your outbursts are amusing, to say the least. The great thing about this all is that I had fabricated an exact clone of me in my private labs which I then killed and implanted within the same GUN base than the GUN Commander died in. I then allowed the GUN soldiers to recapture the base and find us both dead," Cyrus explained. "The world thinks I am dead as well, and so I can move around unhindered. The world won't know what hit it."

"It doesn't matter anymore, Cyrus," Rouge spat. "We are at the controls, so none of these air ships could ever reach Central City. It's over."

"Do you think I would wait until Central City to unleash my weapons?" Cyrus snickered. "You are so naive. I just had to wait until I was in range."

"Tails, they're not just bombs. They're being loaded into missiles!" Phase exclaimed for over the communicator. "They could fire at any moment!"

"Out of my creations," Cyrus stated as the heroes turned towards the clear ceiling where a tall tower was seen. At the top was a big platform where Cyrus stood along with two Cyber Liberators. Attached to the fox's arm was a massive silver missile launcher base, though there was no missile within it. The missile base covered his entire arm and extended out from it, and seemed to be attached to his gauntlet. The base was also very long, even covering half of his face and going all the way down to his lower leg. The fox had a deadly glint in his eyes as he aimed the missile base at the form of the war torn capital being approached, as he continued to talk with the microphones hearing his every word, "the Hell Bringer Missile Controller may just be one of my most destructive. I used to have them them in the GUN Labs, but these are far too dangerous for GUN to use properly."

"He's going to aim them at the city!" Tails realized.

"Now, watch my creation do its work, and blow Central City to hell," Cyrus stated, and then pulled the trigger. "Turn off the transmission. They will witness the destruction for themselves!"

At that moment, the large obsidian missiles launched through air with a high pitched whine, letting out massive exhaust as they all curved through the air towards their target. Omega quickly reacted and fired the cannons from the sip, which launched massive shells that smashed into the ship in front of them, which then fell apart and hit many other ships. Those ships in turn descended and broke apart into many other pieces, creating a massive storm of destruction.

The missiles curved through the air with Cyrus in control, attempting to break through the debris but as the other ships began to fall apart only some could pass through. Omega then fired again, launching the shells at another group of ships which fell apart and destroyed even more missiles. At the end of the chaos, only four missiles still shot through the wreckage, heading for the city.

Tails sighed in relief-that would be enough to save the city, especially since there were three complete Diablons protecting the underground bunker. But then again, the fox had probably anticipated this. Everyone looked at the path of the missiles, especially as the three Diablons raised their yellow energy shields which together protected about four blocks in every direction. The missiles were now heading for the city through the wreckage, shooting through the skyscrapers and into the streets of the city.

For a moment, everyone held their breath in anticipation.

And then the massive wave of destruction tripled and formed a dome of destruction which blew apart the entire southern part of the city in waves of raw chaos energy which destroyed everything. Cyrus smiled eerily as he looked upon his destruction. But finally the destruction ceased and the smoke faded, revealing the ruined city. The Diablons relinquished their shields, allowing for the nine blocks within the massive wave of destruction to stay unharmed, despite the hell around them.

"Well, that's a shame," Cyrus shrugged before he handed off his Hell Bringer to one of the Cyber Liberators. "Get the backup crew to the controls. We need to go back to Prison Island and regroup."

"Yes sir," the two nodded, leaping off the sides of the tower and down to the airship. Cyrus hit a button on the side of the platform, causing it to descend through the tower to the interior of the airship.

"We've won here. GUN will still be going, the capital is safe, and the Cyber Liberators are being hindered, because that was definitely their full arsenal and there's only three air ships left," Rouge said. "Let's go before reinforcements show up. We've won."

"Hmm..." Tails said, thinking to himself.

"What's up, Tails?" Amy asked.

"This just can't be it, Amy," Tails frowned.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked.

"Cyrus is a smart man, and this isn't his New World Order," Tails said. "With this out of the way, their resources will eventually run low. Their numbers may be more than what GUN expected, but all this ruin will backfire. The Cyber Liberators won't have enough resources for their New World Order by the time they're done, and I know he won't just lie down and shut up."

"What are you trying to convey, Comrade Tails?" Omega asked.

"That this isn't it," Tails realized as he said it. "This entire thing...the attacks, the conspiracy, the invasions, it's all a smokescreen for Cyrus' madness."

"So you're trying to say..." Rouge began.

"...that Cyrus has another plan behind the works being disguised by all of this," Tails said, summoning his Energy Cannon. "I have to go after him and confirm this. We just can't let him get away or we'll never know when it happens."

"Wait!" Rouge said. "You can't take him out on your own, especially since you're still regaining your strength!"

"I don't have a choice!" Tails said, firing a hole through the glass of the control room before flying to the top of the tower and dropping through it. "I can't let him get away!"

The air rushed past Tails as yellow lights illuminated his descent. The fox looked at his Energy Cannon as the large platform which Cyrus was on began to emerge, with the gray fox unaware of the yellow fox's approach. The technical genius charged up an Energy Sphere in his cannon as the barrel began to brighten and hum, and he slowed down his descent as he then fired down at Cyrus. The gray fox looked up in genuine shock for just a moment before he jumped to the side and rolled across the ground, dodging to the very edge of the impact as it became scorching hot. The fox landed by him and narrowed his eyes, charging up his Energy Cannon once again.

"Do you know how painful it is to be the smartest anthro on the planet, even smarter than man?" Cyrus asked. "It is painful to deal with those so inferior constantly, and that is why I am somewhat pleased to encounter one who can rival me in intellectual potential. Have you figured it out?"

"I have," Tails said. "This is all a smokescreen. There's no way what you're doing now in the start of the New World Order. You want to erase yourself off the map with your main troops so you can do your work in secret and then unleash your plans when no one expects it."

"Impeccable analysis, Miles Prower," Cyrus complimented. "You are correct. My idea displays cunning however, no? You and me are not that different, after all."

"We are not the same," Tails protested. "I have a heart, and I care enough about others not allow such suffering!"

The gray fox fired off his Energy Streams, but Cyrus quickly weaved through them, lunging forward multiple times at the fox who either dodged or blocked with his Energy Cannon. The Cyber Liberator then leaped off the ground and swung around with a powerful kick while in mid air, smashing the fox against the wall. Tails wheezed for a moment, but then ducked as the fox ripped a hole in the railing with his gauntlet claws.

The fox rolled to his side and unleashed a powerful barrage of Energy Lasers, but Cyrus kicked off the ground in a single bound, using the fast descent of the elevator to leap even higher above before diving down with his claw for Tails' skull. The fox hero jumped back as the claw instead made contact with the ground, but this caused a massive shock wave of electricity to launch out which tossed the fox to the railing on the opposite side, knocking his head hard against the edge.

"Not again, this happened with Xi too!" Tails said, his ears ringing from the impact. He got up slowly to his feet as Cyrus laughed, looking over at him.

"It was nice to acquaint myself with you, Miles Prower. Maybe soon enough you'll see how much we look alike," Cyrus said, chuckling to himself as the platform stopped and the railings slid away. The fox tried to move towards him, but the Cyber Liberator was suddenly at his side before he effortlessly tossed the fox hero overboard, falling from the air ship's bottom into the ocean as he fell into a deep stasis of black.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: So with this highly eventful chapter over we are left with a great cliffhanger! The city Is partially saved, but Cyrus still has more plans afoot. What is he hiding? What is the secret behind this other 'Cyrus'? And what of Sonic and Shadow? And what will happen Tails and the 'Cyrus' in his Energy Cannon? Hang on tight for the next chapter, which will have all of the revelations you have been waiting for!


	40. The Sound of Madness

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 40: The Sound of Madness

**Location: Angel Island**

"Wake...wake...up...wake...up...Tails..."

"Don't!" Tails suddenly shouted, sitting up in the bed quickly as beads of sweat poured down his face.

The fox instantly recognized his backup workshop on Angel Island, not a mile from the Master Emerald. The side of the room was made entirely of a metal that the fox learned how to make clear, displaying a view over the cliff the workshop was over that looked over the entire eastern side of the United Federation, much of it still under attack. The fox breathed in and out slowly, realizing he was still alive. Chrono leaned up against the wall tiredly and Amy sat at his bedside, leading the fox to presume that everyone else was downstairs.

"What...happened?"

"Well, what do you remember?" Chrono asked.

"I chased after Cyrus, and fought with him. He beat me, and I tried to fight back more, but he threw me off the Air Fleet and into the sea," Tails said. "I blacked out, and now here I am."

"Well, that's about everything," Amy said, smiling. "Chrono dived into the sea when he saw you fall, and saved you. Silver then picked us in the Aeolus, and here we are."

"Thanks," Tails said, and received a nod in return.

"Oh, someone's up," Rouge snorted. "See honey, what did I tell you? Fighting you was a game to him. You never stood a chance."

"That wasn't the point," Tails sighed; Cyrus may have been right about dealing with those not as gifted as them. "I proved my thesis. This whole war is a masquerade. By forcing a secret conflict to give himself leverage and then dieing in the eyes of the public as a patriot, he can hide away and commence the final stages of his plan. At this point, it wouldn't matter which way the war went, because Cyrus will still win in the end. I don't know what's he planning, but if he hid it with all of this, it has to be big."

"Gotta admit you're right," Rouge said. "But still, he's long gone by now. The Air Fleets self destructed this morning, leaving no evidence. GUN thinks it's because the missiles had a malfunction, but we know different."

"How are we supposed to follow him?" Amy wondered. "And how do we even stand a chance against what he has waiting even if we do track him down?"

"I didn't just let Cyrus take me and throw me overboard. I let him get so close so I can track him. There's a small camouflaging tracker on his right gauntlet, and eventually he'll discover it, but if we can act fast enough we can figure out where he is before he even discovers it. He'll see us coming then, but we have no choice," Tails told them as he got out of bed, rushing down the stairs and picking up his laptop. The fox typed furiously with one hand as he walked into the hangar bay and jumped into the Aeolus.

"Tails, what are you doing? Rouge wondered.

"Get the others," Tails requested. "I just realized that based on Cyrus' mannerisms and the tenses in which he spoke, this plan of his is going to happen soon. I estimate in the next 24 hours, so we have about no time to stop him. Get the others!"

With that said the Aeolus with all of the heroes in it shot off from Angel Island, streaking across the sky. Tails was at the head of the controls, his Energy Cannon sheathed on his arm, determination in his eyes until the point where his laptop picked up the source of the tracker's location. The fox looked surprised at his laptop as he launched over the mountains below him and through northern Adabat on his way to their destination.

Crater Springs was the last location on earth Tails would have expected to find the location of Cyrus' machinations. Most don't know of the other parts of the Ark project, because the media to talk much about them. But the first space colony prototype before the Ark, known as the Aurora tore up as it exited the atmosphere and fell back down to northern Apotos. Most would think this would be bad, but the Aurora pieces acted like comets and made brilliant craters and beautiful caverns, and the water below the earth rose up, creating gorgeous geysers and springs.

It is a national park of Apotos, and one of the most striking places in the world. But no one had really gone there since the war started, as it was considered a global emergency. GUN wouldn't check there, and neither would any hero, and they surely wouldn't be heading there now if it wasn't for the tracker, and that was why Cyrus chose to realize his goals in such a place. And now that Cyrus knew they were coming, this would be the fight of their lives.

* * *

**Location: GUN City**

The air of the metropolis of GUN City was thick with tension. There was a war just outside their walls, and it was only a matter of time. Civilians moved around with speed and a slight sense of panic and soldiers lined every corner, armed and on alert. But as far as they knew, everything was temporarily at peace. But time is a fast thing, and as Stalv walked through the streets he knew that every second he was walking even closer into the arms of the reaper.

As he climbed the side of the building, turning himself invisible, he reflected on his life in the Whirlpool Clan, his battles against the other villages, his banishment, and coming under Cyrus' tutelage for the first time. He thought of how fulfilling yet not fulfilling all of it was, and how he still had no regrets. He smiled as he reached the top of the tall building, uncloaked himself in a swirl of leaves and wind before he pressed the red button in the center of the mechanism attached to his chest. That in turn would alert the troops at the battery in the battery in the forest outside the city who would then aim the Hellfire Missiles within at the beacon on his chest.

"Finally, I am serving a purpose worthy of my hardships," Stalv stated, tears falling from his face. "My sacrifice will make the ultimate paradise...for Cyrus!"

The missiles shot over the outer wall as the alerts all over the city sounded, but it was far too late. The Sentries fired at the missiles, but they were moving far too fast for gunfire to accurately land on them. Stalv smiled as the tears poured down his face and he made the sacrifice to create Cyrus' world, to help bring about a future he only wished he could be part of, but his past would prevent from ever fully bonding with it.

The dozen missiles smashed into the building he was at, becoming the epicenter for an awesome release of destruction which encompassed the entire city. Raw chaos energy eradicated the military city, eliminate everything its wake as screams of agony and the sound of hell being brought to earth filled the air. And then as soon as it began, it was over. A massive plume of smoke and ash spread out in all directions, covering even the sky and debris fell to the ruined wreckage that was the former metropolis. GUN City, the untouched stronghold of GUN, had been burned to the ground.

* * *

**Location: Crater Springs**

The Aeolus landed in the forest slowly, which rustled in the breeze of twilight. Waves of hazy vapors came up from the geysers ahead, as the trees broke not too far ahead. Silver, Marine, Knuckles, Blaze, and Gemini stayed within the Aeolus, as they were too injured to be of any help from their battles before the Cyber Liberators first attacked. Tails, Rouge, Amy, Chrono, Phase, Fang, Repul, Luxi, Alice, Omega, and Amy leaped out of the Aeolus, adjusting to the cooler breeze of Apotos while they looked around through the haze and past the beautiful trees in spring bloom.

"Alright, we'll follow the plan. Plan are important here, as they are just as prepared if not more than we are," Rouge said. "Who's with who?"

"Omega will take Fang, Phase, and Luxi to the outside and take care of any opposition while the rest of us head into the Crater Spring's underground levels, where Cyrus will likely be hiding," Tails assigned. "Gemini, Silver, Marine, Blaze, and Knuckles will stay here and use the Aeolus' weapons as support whenever we need it. Be careful, and don't take too many risks."

"He's quite the leader now, ain't he?" Knuckles said to Tails' embarrassment.

"Yup," Gemini whistled. "I prefer him to that stupid blue hedgehog who gets us in deep shit half the time."

"Funny," Knuckles replied sarcastically. "Especially since we have no idea what that madman is doing to him right now!"

"The heroes already left. Just hang tight," Blaze said harshly, ill tempered as she held her bandaged arm, looking as the last image of Tails faded through the haze, leaving them all alone in the Aeolus.

Omega, Fang, Phase, and Luxi emerged from the haze, looking at the beautifully carved rock structures that glistened in the light. A thin layer of water spread over the entire area with an even thinner haze with water spraying into the air from the geysers. Mixed with the twilight, Luxi couldn't help but be amazed-if it wasn't for the fact their live were in great danger, she would stay and just gaze out at Crater Springs forever.

"Let's kick some Cyber Liberator butt!" Phase declared.

"Their numbers are too big to go at them recklessly, idiot," Fang stated. "Stealth is our best friend."

"Good job being quiet, guys," Luxi said, rolling her eyes while chewing on some gummy worms. "Now they could be shooting at us any second."

As if on cue, gunfire rang throughout the air, causing the heroes to jump into the crater in front of them, splashing up water as they laid low. Gunfire shot over their heads, ripping through the shadows as the blue visors from the Cyber Liberators became visible through the haze. The former Eggman's robot looked all around and realized that they were surrounded-there were even snipers perched on the rocks. Cyrus didn't want them getting close to his stronghold at any cost.

The gunfire ceased for a moment as most of the Cyber Liberators were forced to reload and Omega sprang into action, firing upon the snipers with some well placed Omega Fireballs before he ducked behind a rock next to the crater as gunfire came over him at every angle, trying to hit him behind the rock. Unknown to Omega an Ops with a long katana appeared behind him, ready to slice down with the aid of a Chaos Drive but Luxi came to the rescue, tossing her gummy worms into the air so she could slice across the Ops member with a double bladed staff.

"Watch out buddy!" Luxi warned, grabbing her gummy worms out of the air and putting them in her fur before she summoned another staff and rushed into battle.

Two Ops pulled out their katanas and charged her, but she spun around like a top with her staffs and smashed each of them into the chest before tossing them off the ground and avoiding another wave of gunfire from two more troops. Luxi then tossed the staffs forward at them, impaling them straight through as she ran by and summoned two battle axes in order to block waves of gunfire coming back from the forest.

"I can't see where they're coming from!" Luxi exclaimed. "Help me out!"

"Particle Gale!" Phase bellowed, instantly dispersing into a storm of blood red particles which ripped through the area and killed the squad of Ops troops hiding out in the forest before coming back to the heroes and reforming into the red salamander.

"I can't believe there's even more!" Phase exclaimed. "How many numbers do they have?"

But just as she turned, she ducked under a kick from the ruthless wolf. Lance landed and pulled out two Uzis as he turned to fire at her, but Fang quickly jumped in the way, destroying the bullets with his own Uzis. The weasel laughed manically before he sprung off the ground and tried to slam Lance across the face with his Uzi only to be kicked up into the air. The wolf tried to fire at him again but Fang fired a shot of his own as well, deflecting off of each other once again. Fang landed and put away his Uzi to pull his two traditional Fang pistols, grinning all the while.

"I'm about to become a bit more useful in this little group of ours," Fang snickered. "I'm gonna take care of him. You guys keep going!"

"Okay Fang, be careful!" Phase nodded, trusting her comrade to stay alive before the group of three rushed past the two fighters. A moment of silence passed between them before they charged simultaneously and pulled their triggers, filling the air with the sounds of combat.

The group ascended the side of a small cliff before looking over it and to the area ahead, which was a field of rocky outcroppings filled with Ops troops with Symphony in the lead. The hummingbird smirked as she unleashed a blast of sound waves from her sining once more, knocking over the larger cliff as the heroes scattered. The hummingbird pulled out her katana and launched forward, only to be blocked by Luxi holding a lime energy battle axe.

The two pushed off of each other and Omega and Luxi moved to help but then were attacked by all sides, forcing them to combat the swam of Ops troops as fighting broke apart all over the top of the Crater Springs. The Aeolus also joined in, being piloted by Marine as it launched gunfire, missiles, and lasers down at the Ops troops, causing fighting to break out all over the water covered craters unaware of what was happening below the surface.

The group of Tails, Amy, Rouge, Chrono, and Tain headed deep into the caverns below the surface of Crater Springs. The distraction the other heroes provided was good enough; this way, they avoided Cyrus' defenses and infiltrated his hideout. However, the yellow fox hoped Cyrus hadn't thought even farther ahead to the possibility of them getting into the interior of his base, as they couldn't hope to save Sonic and defeat Cyrus while taking on the fox mastermind's other resources.

They had already come so far through the hangar bays, weapon supplies, and the labs, all coated in black metal made from the pieces of the Aurora, and yet their path never seemed to end. Every once in a while they would hear the sounds of battle from above them, knowing that the other heroes were probably in the fight of their lives. The group moved through another set of labs, filled with vials and capsules containing mutilated figures of all kinds. The slimy green liquid that the figures were in concealed most of them, and the fox was relieved at that-Cyrus had a sick mind and seeing what he was doing to innocent life forms would probably be traumatic.

A group of three Ops troops were at the other end of the lab, on guard with their Uzis at the ready but completely unaware of the heroes approaching behind them. Tain quickly sneaked up behind them as the heroes stayed back, allowing him to show his mercenary skills. The first Ops troop on the right found his neck slit open, blood spraying on the metal wall on the hallway on the lab's outside as Tain then ducked under a spray of gunfire. The Ops troop then aimed down at him, but he quickly grabbed his gun out of his hand before shooting him through the head in a spray of bullets. The final one drew his katana, but the wolf kicked it out of his hand before shooting him in the knees, chest, and head swiftly.

"That was some dirty killing," Amy grimaced.

"Just the way I like it!" Tain said proudly before putting the Uzi on his belt-it could be useful later.

"We should get going. Now that Cyrus knows we're here based on what's happening outside he's probably going to speed up his plans," Chrono suggested.

"You're right; let's go!" Tails said as they dashed through the corridors, heading towards the growing sources of energy through the labyrinth of hallways and caverns.

Eventually the group walked through another hangar bay attached to a cavern that opened up into a crater, but all of the Ops troops were loaded up into the Liberator Helicopters which then took off and rose up through the top of the crater. The heroes were relieved that they didn't have to fight through more of their ranks but Tails was wary-those helicopters had to be going somewhere, and if it wasn't to give those fighting outside reinforcements it was for anything else related to the gray fox's diabolical intentions.

The group of five headed through the corridors, heading deeper and deeper into the base. Eventually a light came up ahead of them, and the group raced towards it, hoping it would finally come up to their goal. And it did. The room stretched up to the sky, and based on the spray of moisture that fell down the sky that opened up to the high cavern was actually just near the surface of the ocean off the coast of Cavern Springs and Apotos. The lower walls of the area were made of a silver metal, while the floors were a sleek black which moved inward to the center of the room.

The machine in the center was highly complex. It slightly resembled a massive mechanical flower, with a large stem coming up which at about the middle point split into arcing spires which centered around the energy structure in the middle. At the tip of the steam and contained within the arcing spires was an energy field, made completely of crimson energy. This was due to the figure within the field holding the crimson Chaos Emerald with his white gloves, his blue quills floating about calmly while his jade green eyes were dull and his muzzle pale. Sonic the Hedgehog floated about within the machine which pulsed with crimson and azure light at the same time, appearing on the verge of absolution.

"My plan had been ready for execution for a while, but I decided to wait until you had arrived. After all, my cameras did not see you outside," Cyrus said, standing in front of the machine with Shadow at his side. "But in actuality, I suppose in all technicalities that is not true. In reality, my plan has already begun long before you even arrived."

"I knew those planes were taking off for somewhere else!" Tails confirmed.

"What have you done with Sonic?" Amy demanded, glaring at Shadow. "Why is he in that machine?"

"Sonic has become the catalyst for our New World Order," Cyrus said. "You should be proud that you lover has become such a significant part of the new age of this world. I will only explain to you what is happening because at this point there is no way to stop it."

"We'll see about that!" Rouge said.

"Sonic is linked up to a machine which is the product of many years of research from myself and those that came before me, known as the Order Transmitter," Cyrus stated. "It is compromised of two parts, one which is the power link which you see is being used by having the blue hedgehog harness the Chaos Emerald's energy, combine it with his own, and send it through time and space to the function link."

"And the function link does what?" Chrono asked.

"I was getting to that," Cyrus stated. "The function link sends out ultra chaos transmissions which link up to every electronic receiver, primarily those within the neurons and and brains of life forms, though it can extend further with higher frequencies."

"So you're saying that this machine Sonic is powering can control the minds of everyone on the planet!" Tails exclaimed. "This entire conflict and conspiracy was just to cover up the building of the machines!"

"Yes, a plan so elaborate and so long that if it wasn't for the fox being an intellectual rival to me you would have never known about the ploy," Cyrus stated, placing a mechanical crest around his head as the control link to the machine. "But it will be worth it. In the end a true order will be created among the chaos. With the Cyber Liberators in control there will be no suffering, no war, no hardships, no conflict at all. It will be a utopia of undisturbed peace and harmony."

"You utopia is nothing but a fake!" Amy accused. "Their will would only be yours!"

"The Order Transmitter does not create total mind control," Cyrus stated. "It just inflicts suggestive thoughts and visions upon those who receive the transmissions. In reality, it is still their will reacting, but the stimuli their will is reacting to would be created to insure true peace. And who else should be at the head of such a vision than the most intelligent being on the planet?"

"You're a psychopath," Chrono snarled, "such a world would be nothing than a prison masquerading as society!"

"Shadow, how you could be a part of this?" Rouge asked, almost ready to break down, and Shadow noticed it as his cold look faltered for just a moment.

"It is necessary. Maria already died from unnecessary conflict, and only through this New World Order can we prevent this from happening to so many other innocent lives, including yours," Shadow persuaded, only for the bat to look away, tears dropping down her face slowly.

"I can't deny your statements. Truth be told, I am a little out of touch emotionally," Cyrus sighed. "But in the end, it is a small price to pay for true wisdom. And anyhow, despite your complaints my plan has already begun. The function link is a massive drill underground, completely invincible as the alloys that make up its shell are pulled together in an indestructible bond with the red Chaos Core at the center of it all, my machine converting the power pulled in between Sonic, the Chaos Emerald, and the Chaos Core into transmissions which would then travel around the world from the drill and create new reactions within the minds of life forms. Right now, the drill is closing in on the center of GUN City where I will then activate the drill, starting a new beginning from the ruins of my adversaries."

"Theoretically, this plan is all theoretical. Sure, you may have known that the conspiracy would follow through, but knowing that you could tamper with such chaotic energies and make them work are almost impossible without tests, and someone would have noticed," Tails countered.

"Oh, but I have," Cyrus smirked. "In reality, I had built a prototype into my gauntlets, which worked in much the same way, but with a much smaller range and relied on my ability to use electricity from the air. I realized that I could make a powerful ally and test them to work on the most powerful subjects, so I began to transmit them on two people that I began to interact with greatly. First was the GUN Commander so I could insure his trust, and then was another hedgehog, one who I began to transmit to from the moment we met in Holoska when he took down the Egg Atlas to just a few moments ago when I disabled the prototype so it wouldn't interfere with the Order Transmitter."

"You..." Shadow roared, turning towards Cyrus in pure hatred while Rouge looked in shock, unsure whether to be joyous and saddened. "You deceived me! I knew I felt some sort of new disturbance! This whole thing is just your little game!"

"It is of no concern now. Now that Sonic is in my grasp and the plan is about to start, you have outlived your purpose in _my_ New World Order," Cyrus stated, still remaining calm as he gave the black hedgehog one uncaring glance while the power link with Sonic inside then sunk from its platform deeper into the ground where it could not be disturbed. "Besides, you're free now. There is a thin shield around Crater Springs which will keep the transmissions out, as it is better for those here to defend this place that way, along with there being thin shields given to all of the Cyber Liberators. The drill will activate in just a few minutes, anyhow."

"You'll have to worry about your own life first!" Shadow roared, his crimson eyes glowing as energy surged around him and he rushed for Cyrus, who looked up at him before suddenly unsheathing his gauntlet claws and lunging forward with arcs of electricity around the claws.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so begins the final conflicts of this arc, with the revelations of Cyrus' master plot in the longest raw chapter of this story. Can the heroes stop Cyrus' Order Transmitter and save the world from a permanent illusion? Will Tails pull his intellect together to defeat Cyrus once and for all? And what will happen with Shadow now that he's free and Sonic since he is being used as a living energy source? Hang tight for the final epic chapter in this arc, which will have a fight and a conclusion you won't soon forget!


	41. Sacrifice of Brilliance

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 41: Sacrifice of Brilliance

"Die, you bastard!" Shadow roared as the crimson energy and electricity clashed off of each other, emitting massive recoils of energy which even blew black the heroes.

The black hedgehog pushed everything he could into the attack, causing it to overshadow the brilliant blue arcs as the massive Chaos Nightmare then concentrated around Shadow's fist, which he then drove into the attack and towards Cyrus, creating a massive explosion of crimson which peeled the metal off everything it touched and created a burst of smoke. Shadow flipped back, landing at the edge of the massive smoke cloud. A tense moment passed over the group as the smoke cleared and everything became still.

"Nice try, I must admit. If I didn't think fast my blood would be coating you."

Cyrus smirked as he pressed the side of his gauntlet, causing the half dome shield of yellow plasma in front of him to disperse into streams of plasma which then returned to the small device attached to the top of his back. The ultimate life growled angrily and suddenly warped into the air, launching down at the fox while unleashing a barrage of Chaos Spears. The gray fox easily deflected the powerful lance projectiles with a few waves of his claws before he kicked Shadow away.

The ebony furred anthro quickly flipped over in the air, crouching against the wall before rebounding off of it and shooting at Cyrus. The black hedgehog snarled angrily as he formed a Chaos Lance in his hands, but he instead held it and attempted to impale Cyrus with it while he launched at him. But just as he approached the fox looked at him with a deadly glint his his eye. The black hedgehog twisted around and lunged for the fox's head but he quickly responded by grabbing his wrist and holding him back.

"You would have defeated me if you had not allowed your anger to take control of your logic," Cyrus admitted. "But then again, my intelligence far exceeds yours."

"Fuck you," Shadow hissed.

"You're a violent one," Cyrus grinned evilly with dark intent in his eyes.

With that said the gray fox's body then surged with electricity which he drew from the air before he unleashed a lightning fast attack. The ultimate life form cried out in pain, relinquishing his attack as the claws impaled his arm, shocking his body. The fox looked at him in glee for a moment before he unleashed a powerful bursts of electricity which tossed Shadow to the wall like a rag doll. The hedgehog's impact created a web of cracks before he fell down and staggered, clutching his mutilated and bleeding arm.

"I'm done fighting you, Shadow, as entertaining as it was while it lasted," Cyrus sneered as as massive Liberator helicopter dropped from above, hovering over the bottom of the cave as numerous Cyber Walkers and Ops troops dropped from it. "It's almost time for my plan to take hold. The Order transmitter is finally ready to activate."

The heroes launched into battle against the waves of troops that flooded the room, but Tails instead followed Cyrus, who suddenly flew up in the air with the aid of a powerful jet from the device on his back that also contained his Plasma Shields. The heroes were too preoccupied to follow him but the yellow fox quickly knocked away a group of troops in his way with lashes from his tails boosted by his own energy before he flew up in the air with his Propeller Flight.

The yellow furred fox's tails spun like rotors as he ascended after the fox as they emerged from the top of the caverns and hovered over the ocean waves. The fox ignored the ocean spray and made sure his Energy Cannon was charged as he pursued Cyrus towards his destination, a large structure made of multiple platforms that rose from a long spire that likely originated at the bottom of the ocean with Crater Springs being not too far from where they were off coast. Cyrus looked back, smirked for a moment and then sped up, his yellow furred adversary following him relentlessly.

* * *

**Location: GUN City**

Shadow and Rouge warped to what they thought was the great stronghold of GUN, but the place they ended up in was a hellhole. The streets were merely stretches of ripped up and fragmented concrete which was uprooted at all sorts of angles. The "buildings" were either mere shells of what they once were, standing but mostly torn apart, or they had been completely destroyed, laying around in the ruins. Fires littered the area and the smoke and ash fell from the sky, blanketing everything about them in an absolute hazy darkness. All around them the sounds of explosions, gunfire, and combat could be heard, along with the screams of the citizens.

"What happened here?" Rouge wondered.

"The Cyber Liberators used their Hell Bringers on this place, but I never expected the destruction to be like this," Shadow said. "In all of the chaos, this would be the perfect place to unleash the transmissions. I can feel the powerful energies rising up from below the ground."

"But you heard what Cyrus said," Rouge recalled. "The drill is indestructible, and it will keep working as long as Sonic is the power source. Plus, look at your right arm-Cyrus destroyed it."

"I know," Shadow said, looking at his limp arm in which the black fur was matted down from the blood, "but I don't have a choice. I can help to disrupt the chaos based transmissions with my own energy while you back me up until the heroes can stop Cyrus and save Sonic."

"Alright, but..." Rouge began before slapping him across the face. "Don't ever do that to me again. And please be careful. I can't afford to lose you again."

"You won't," Shadow promised, giving her a small smile before he warped above a crater where the greatest concentration of rising energy was and summoned crimson bolts of light into his hands. The barrage of Chaos Lances tore apart the ground in massive impacts of piercing red, working to obliterate everything between Shadow and the drill.

* * *

**Location: Crater Springs**

Tails landed on the center platform, which was slightly lower than the other platforms. Cyrus landed on a similar platform slightly higher than he is on the outer edge, his jet pack ceasing flight before he quickly unleashed his gauntlet claws. The yellow fox narrowed his eyes and held out his Energy Cannon in a challenging manner and Cyrus responded by surging his gauntlets with arcs of electricity that wee powerful enough to even go beyond the limits of his claws and filled the air with static. The two stared each other down with electric blue eyes, and Tails never realized how only their intentions differed their gazes from one another.

"This platform was left over from fifty years ago, five years after the Aurora crash when GUN tried to claim this area from the Apotos army and failed," Cyrus informed. "It used to be a GUN outpost, but it has since been long abandoned."

"This platform is still far away from Crater Springs, though," Tails realized.

"It wasn't an effective tactic," Cyrus said. "This is the only one standing, after all. The others were too weak. If they had put the outposts even closer they may have succeeded. But it doesn't matter, Miles Prower. It all boils down to this. My forces clearly overpower your friends and I have sent the signal for the dill to activate whenever it is ready, which is mere minutes away."

"But this is the last stand. If this doesn't work you have nothing left because you can't win the war," Tails countered. "So the fate of this conflict depends on this. I will defeat you!"

"Don't count on it, but I admire you for any efforts," Cyrus grinned before holding out his palm towards the yellow furred hero and unleashing powerful arcs of electricity.

The yellow fox unleashed his Energy Streams, which met with the arcs of electricity. The impact of the forked energy constructs caused many sparks to to ripple out across the impacts before both attacks faded and the yellow hero launched up at the gray furred nemesis with an Energy Sphere charged. The gray fox quickly leaped back as the Energy Sphere flew past him, but the gray fox was suddenly tossed back by Tails swinging around with his tails which tossed the gray fox back. Cyrus growled angrily before he almost instantly unleashed a deadly sphere of electricity which enveloped Tails before exploding and tossing him into the air.

The fox allowed himself to fall before swooped down and back onto the platform before he unleashed a barrage of Energy Lasers while strafing to the right. Cyrus narrowed his eyes and quickly summoned his Plasma Shields from the machine attached to his back before he leaped over the shields as they absorbed back into his machine before he swiped out at Tails multiple times who dodged the blows only to get kicked into the platform. Tails grunted before he rolled to the right and kicked Cyrus in the side before getting up and swinging a fist around for the Liberator's face.

The Liberator caught the fist and slid his grasp to the yellow hero's wrist before tossing him across the platform and onto another one. The yellow fox flipped back as Cyrus slammed one of his claws into the ground where Tails once was, unleashing a powerful shock wave. As the yellow fox descended the Liberator's leader shot up towards his descending form before unleashing a powerful sphere of electricity. The fox countered it by unleashing his Energy Sphere, which caused the two spheres of cerulean and orange to collide in mid air and burst in a dazzling display of raw power.

"I must say, you have an impressive piece of machinery in your hands," Cyrus admitted, falling to the ground and then launching for Tails. "The Energy Cannon draws the same chaos energy that your unique tails use to boost their strength to form much more powerful attacks that your body normally could not pull off."

"The complimenting won't save you from me," Tails said, blocking his claws with the side of his Energy Cannon before he was kicked across the face. The fox slid across the ground but he quickly got up, charging up more energy in his barrel. "I'm going to stop your madness."

"On the contrary, I am going to create a perfect order," Cyrus countered, looking as Tails held the Energy Cannon at his body. "I will stabilize this terrible world. There will be no war, no suffering, no murder, no rape. Ragnarok will have no need to destroy this world because it will be restored to its glory before all of the wars and suffering, and Nebula will be hunted to the ends of the earth and destroyed so he is no longer a threat to us. It will be perfect."

"But it will still be wrong! This world wouldn't be real if it was all just an elaborate illusion!" Tails yelled, launching Energy Streams at the gray fox. "The feelings of laughter, sadness, anger, grief, relief, and joy wouldn't be real, and so your world will feel empty. Do you want to do that to the entire world?"

"I would eliminate the dependency on such emotions. I expected that someone like me would understand my vision and now I find myself disappointed," Cyrus sighed, summoning the Plasma Shields once more and blocking the streams before he reabsorbed the shields. "It is also sad that you will not be able to see my world for yourself so you can find your thesis proved wrong. But I do have to put the world's needs ahead of your heroes' selfish ones, after all."

"You're a twisted, sick freak," Tails hissed.

"Such an accusation is entirely objective," Cyrus replied before he suddenly smirked. "I can feel it already. Such great power for such a small price. The Order Transmitter has just started working."

* * *

**Location: GUN City**

The black hedgehog gritted his teeth as he unleashed a powerful Chaos Blast which tore up the ground even more. The black hedgehog could feel the transmissions attempting to work their way into his mind along with those of everyone else in the city and eventually around the world. Rouge doubled over, holding her head along with all of the other GUN soldiers while the Liberators continued to to destroy ever trace of GUN in the city, unaffected by the transmissions.

"Dammit!" Shadow yelled, his head ringing as he continued to smash more and more bursts of chaos energy into the ground with all of his might, ripping through the ground over and over again to keep the transmissions at bay.

But he was running out of energy quickly, and choking on the smoke left from the ruins of the city and it wouldn't be too long before the Liberators realized what he was doing was not just a reaction to the transmissions. And the moment he stopped, it would be over for those trying to fight against the transmissions all over the world. The heroes wouldn't stand a chance against Cyrus with the entire world against them.

"Hurry up, fox!" Shadow yelled out as he unleashed a barrage of Chaos Lances into the ground.

Time was running out.

* * *

**Location: Crater Springs**

"Don't worry about holding on to that power, because I WILL stop you!" Tails shouted before launching at Cyrus.

The gray fox waited until the last moment before he flipped over him, landing behind him. The yellow fox spun around and tried to swipe out with his tails, but Cyrus spun in the air before kicking out and smashing Tails in the face. The yellow furred anthro staggered back only for blood to sill from his stomach as Cyrus sliced across him multiple times with his claws. Arcs of electricity shocked the yellow fox as Cyrus leaped up before launching a massive electrical sphere at the platform.

Tails jumped up and began to fly up, and just in time. The impact instantly destroyed the platform and sent out a burst of electricity which shocked the fox, causing him to fall onto another platform. Cyrus used his Jet Pack to hover in the air before he held up his left gauntlet, coating it in electricity as even more drew itself from the air and floated in the air around Cyrus' arm. The fox wisely jumped back as Cyrus suddenly lunged forward, causing the electricity around his arm to suddenly expand before shotting forward at breakneck speeds.

"Shock Piercer!" Cyrus shouted, the impact of the electricity become like a divine hammer, smashing into the platform with such force that it almost instantly destroyed multiple platforms and tossed Tails onto another platform which he then landed on. "Do you see how weak you are in comparison? You don't stand a chance!"

"Shut up, you will be stopped!" Tails argued, rushing forward with surprising speed before spinning at a rapid rate.

The Rapid Tails Attack smashed into Cyrus over and over again before he was tossed to the edge of the platform. The gray fox watched as Tails jumped down on him from above and smashed his foot into the hero's stomach before grabbing him and tossing him off of the platform and to the ocean below. Tails quickly used his Propeller Flight to slow his descent before he angled his tails in his back, causing him to speed forward like a torpedo over the water, leaving a great spray behind him. Cyrus simply laughed and charged up another Shock Piercer before tossing it at the fox.

"Distance is but a mere factor that can be predicted, you fool!" Cyrus sneered before charging up another Shock Piercer.

"Whoa!" Tails shouted as the lightning fast projectile approached him.

Tails gulped before quickly dodging out of the way as a massive plume of water vapors rose up, filled with sparks. He continued to speed over the water as Cyrus charged up even more Shock Piercers and tossed them at him, causing even more plumes to rise up over the surface of the water which Tails dodged and jumped through, avoiding the arcs of electricity being left behind. The fox circled all the way around the platform as Cyrus continued to toss Shock Piercers at him, but none seemed to hit.

But as Tails moved to shoot an Energy Sphere, Cyrus responded with a much more powerful Shock Piercer. The two attacks collided but Tails' was almost instantly destroyed followed by the attack smashing into where Tails was dashing. The fox was tossed high up into the air, only for the electricity around him to emerge from the air and toss him back onto another platform. The gray fox was ready, having another Shock Piercer charged in his left gauntlet as he stood over the yellow fox, who still had arcs of electricity coursing through his body along with many wounds covering him.

"Is it not clear to you whose vision will be fulfilled today?" Cyrus wondered, getting ready to lunge down and finish the fight and his struggle to take over the world, all in one move. "It is such a shame that in the name of progress I will have to destroy the only other one whom I could truly connect with on an intellectual level. I may even regret it."

"You won't have to anything when you're done for," Tails said, suddenly holding his Energy Cannon at Cyrus' face. "Energy Chain Spheres!"

At that moment the gray fox was tossed back to another platform by the impact of the first sphere. But the first sphere did not burst, instead being attached to a chain in which the second sphere came out. The two massive spheres orbited around the chain as they spun towards Cyrus in the air. The fox looked down and fired his Shock Piercer to destroy the chain, but it had no effect in comparison as the sparks of electricity simply dispersed into the air.

Before Cyrus could do anything he was wrapped up in the chains, falling back down as the Energy Spheres spun around and came closer to him. And then they both hit. The yellow fox was tossed onto his back as the massive dual bursts of orange energy dimmed out everything else in the area for a moment. And then multiple platforms fell off into the ocean as Tails worked his way through the massive cloud of smoke that covered the spire and through the destruction created by his powerful technique.

And that's when he saw Cyrus. Burns and wounds covered his body as he struggled to his feet, staggering from his wounds. The fire of determination and calmness in his eyes was gone for the first time anyone had ever seen him. He coughed for a moment and then glared at Tails, who aimed his Energy Cannon at the technology warrior's face, panting and exhausted but less injured and with a bit more fight in him.

"The controller link on your head may have been the reason I had won, added with other factors," Tails explained. "You said it had a little price, which I assumed was a small toll on your energy, but it was enough to still make a difference over time in such a long battle. That combined with all of those Shock Piercers you used probably drained the rest of your energy, along with surviving my Energy Chain Spheres."

"The same applies to you," Cyrus objected. "You're young so your reserves aren't so high, and you're not exactly a trained fighter, so you probably use up more."

"True, but because I wasn't preoccupied trying to power and control a massive machine with my mind, I still have a bit left," Tails said. "It's over."

"Don't delusion yourself!" Cyrus said. "You would never have the nerve to end my life."

"I'm not," Tails said, "I'm going to incur upon you a fate that you'll realize is a lot worse than that. Virus Arrow!"

And with that the projectile full of orange codes shot into Cyrus, who instantly fell on his back, crying out in pain as the data codes forcefully absorbed themselves into his body. The fox almost fainted, but leaned up against the side of a slightly higher platform as he ran out of energy. The smoke began to fade as the sun disappeared over the sunset, creating a beautiful dusk as the rays of pink hung over the sky faintly.

"What have you done to me?" Cyrus demanded.

"Your fragment told me about everything on the way here," Tails elaborated. "That experiment you did on yourself so many years ago with the prototype that allowed people to enter the digital realms but instead caused a piece of you to remain behind."

"The chance...of an encounter with it...in there was less than .01 percent," Cyrus realized.

"And thank Chaos I did," Tails continued. "Because that fragment showed me a side of you from so long ago that I could have become friends with. What happened to you?"

"I became wiser and accepted the harsh realities of our world," Cyrus stated. "Which I cannot fix now that you have foolishly destroyed my ambitions."

"You're almost as bad as Nebula," Tails sighed in sadness and relief, "but you won't be a threat any longer. The merging of your former fragment back into you will knock your body into a temporary coma, long enough to destroy your madness. It's over."

"Smart thinking," Cyrus smiled eerily, looking back up at the dusk. They sat there in an unusual peace for many minutes before he spoke again. "I see so, so much of myself in you. No matter how much you deny it, you are so much like me. I am eager to see how you will develop, and become above this world like I have."

And then gray fox closed his eyes and his breathing became long and low. The yellow fox was too taken aback to say anything as he slipped into the coma and the data codes around him finally entered his body and stayed there. Many strange minutes passed by as the fox felt the presence of the transmissions in the air disappear, and he quickly removed the controller link and smashed it to pieces before he fell back, barely staying awake. He continued to look out, trying to absorb what had happened and what was happening and still suffering from the exhaustion from battle.

"It was hard for me to escape your friend. He almost got me, too," Lance stated, landing beside Tails to his shock, but he was too tired to do anything as he slung Cyrus over his shoulder. "But I won't die like Symphony in battle, and I won't sacrifice myself like Stalv. Me and Cyrus will live on."

And then, as he saw the Aeolus approaching the platform, Lance jumped into the water with Cyrus attached to his back by a vest he had on. The yellow furred inventor tried to stay awake but as his body realized he was finally safe he let sleep overtake him and he fell into a deep slumber as Shadow and Rouge stood over him, reaching out to him as the blackness finally overtook everything and he hit the floor of the platform.

* * *

**Location: Angel Island**

"So then Shadow left GUN to redeem himself and figure out what he should do, and Cyrus an Lance escaped?" Sonic asked as he sat in bed, Tails nodding at his bedside. "Well thank for letting me know what happened bro."

"No problem," Tails said, looking out the window at the mountains of Angel Island as the workshop sat on a cliff overlooking a long valley. "Are you beginning to feel better?"

"Yeah; I'll be out of bed in two days, no doubt," Sonic promised, giving one of his thumbs ups. "I can't wait to get speeding again. By the way, thanks for saving my butt. I'd be sucked dry now if it weren't for you."

"It's a part of being a hero, after all," Tails said, slightly embarrassed as he moved to walk out of the room. "I'll catch up with you later, I have to repair the Aeolus."

But as he walked out, he walked back in. Chrono was there, looking at the bed towards Sonic, but he wasn't the only one. Tikal smiled at the bedridden Sonic, though there were dried up tears on her face with Angel and Dark hovering at her sides. The fox was as shocked by her appearance as Sonic was, especially since she was now perfectly tangible, sitting in the chair next to the bed as he realized that things could be getting interesting.

"Hey Tikal? What happened? Where's Chaos?" Sonic asked.

"We need to talk about that," Tikal said slowly, her voice hoarse. "About what happened to Chaos, about Ragnarok's leader Nebula, and about your true destiny."

"Oh boy," Sonic said, gulping as the air in the room became thick and dense. He had a feeling everything was going to change now.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And there is the conclusion of this great arc with some great suspense! What is Sonic's destiny, and what will the revelation of the godly battle and Chaos' death do to the heroes from here on? What will happen now that no other force can truly stand against Ragnarok? And will Sonic be able to accept his destiny in order to defeat a powerful divine god? All of these answers will be revealed in the next arc, which will arrive soon!


	42. Fiery Reunion

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 42: Fiery Reunion

**Location: Unknown**

The remaining agents of Ragnarok gathered in the same room as they always did, their hoods off as Nerux lined the halls of the room. The moon's light shined down from the partially glass roof of the room, falling down on the tall throne in the back. Nebula sat on top of the throne is his Ragnarok uniform, though his form this time was that of an echidna with great strength, like on from the Knuckles Clan, but he also featured two yellow antennas coming from right before his long locks. But his most unusual feature were the four long wings made of yellow energy which extended from his back, constantly dropping mesmerizing yellow particles.

"You, the ones who have survived, have proved yourselves as the ones who will truly prevail in the war, the ones who have shown the most valor and dedication to the cause," Wing Nebula stated as a cool Frost, a solemn Aersus, a disturbed Cerebral, a calm Nightmare and Typhoon, and an unrevealed agent listened on. "Our plan has come so close to fruition. I can fell _it_ calling to me."

"But we still need more energy," Nightmare stated. "The Chaos Cores cannot do their job without having more energy."

"That is why the Chaos Emeralds are our next target, aren't they?" Frost asked.

"Precisely," Wing Nebula stated, his voice somehow impossibly calm and soothing. "The Ragnarok Beasts have already begun attacking the cities of the world, distracting them and searching as well, but you will do the pinpoint searching and follow the largest sources of energy as directed. Destroy all who impede your path. Now that Cyrus is removed from the conflict, the only thing we have to worry about are the heroes, Gemini, and the Chosen."

"The Ragnarok Beasts have picked up an incredibly large transmission in the Ancient Volcano in the Shamar desert," Nightmare reported. "Shall I go retrieve the emerald?"

"No, he will," Nebula decided, looking towards the unrevealed agent. "It is time you face your past."

"Yes sir," the agent said, his voice soft as he summoned a black and white portal and leaped through it while the other agents left the room. "I will not fail."

"We are so close," Wing Nebula said, looking out as he was left alone in the room with the Nerux. "This world will finally end and give birth to the purest world in the universe. My ambitions will be realized.

* * *

**Location: Ancient Volcano**

"_Hey Tikal? What happened? Where's Chaos?" Sonic asked._

"_We need to talk about that," Tikal said slowly, her voice hoarse. "About what happened to Chaos, about Ragnarok's leader Nebula, and about your true destiny."_

"_Oh boy," Sonic said, gulping as the air in the room became thick and dense. He had a feeling everything was going to change now._

And he couldn't have been more right. Chrono had already told Sonic he was the most important of the Chosen, but what Tikal said sounded as if he would have the biggest part to play in this great war. The echidna was now tangible due to Chaos' last gift, and she had quite a story to tell about Leo's death and all of the cataclysmic events that happened following it that led to the death of a god. As Tikal told the heroes about the epic battle between Chaos and Nebula and Chaos' downfall about a week ago, all of the heroes were put in shock.

How were they supposed to defeat a force that single handedly defeated a god while showing such little of his own arsenal, even if he was weakened from all of the time he spent sealed away in such a strong prison? The rabbit had seen Chrono trying to train Sonic, and the blue hedgehog was immensely strong, but what Tikal described was beyond belief. And coupled with the fact that he had attacked the heroes before and easily won despite the numbers made her believe that she was happy she was not Sonic as of the moment.

"The Chaos Emerald isn't far ahead. We should hurry, there is a lot of fighting not too far from here in Shamar's biggest cities," Amy said. "God, I really hate this place. And the fact that Ragnarok Beasts have been attacking people all over the world in their search doesn't make things any easier."

"Gummy worm?" Luxi offered to Cream, which she took. "They're really good, aren't they?"

"They are!" Cream said in excitement. "Can I have just one more?"

"Sure!" Luxi nodded, giving her another. "Want one, Amy?"

"It will distract me from all of this," Amy shrugged, taking one. "This place is really depressing."

"I agree," Cream admitted, looking around.

Brittle and gray colored sickly trees covered much of the area, either standing up or fallen down. Ruined houses running along the side of the large volcano laid all around, destroyed from some disaster. The sky was black and gray, as if a storm was coming, and a massive cloud of ash circled he main crater of the volcano. Hardened lava turned into black rock with orange cracks that spread over the volcano down from the top, which glowed a dim orange. The dead volcano showed no signs of life but Amy could feel a presence ahead-they wouldn't be the only ones going after the emerald.

"I really don't like this place, guys," Luxi said, putting away her gummy bear sonly to pull a small knife. "We should hurry."

"I agree, let's go!" Cream declared.

And with that the three girls dashed across the barren and ruined landscape towards the ever growing source of energy, unknowingly moving ever closer to the summit of the mighty volcano. And as they did the figure followed them from the shadows, draped in the white uniform with black highlights that could only be known to Ragnarok, looking on Cream and her chao with a sense of familiarity and a sense of acceptance as to what he had to do to get that emerald and fulfill Nebula's ambitions, even if he had to abandon something he longed for so long.

The town Amy, Luxi, and Cram entered was desolate. Too desolate. The town was in ruins, having been destroyed long ago by the volcano. The marketplace was utterly destroyed with broken houses and debris everywhere, with what was still standing having everything but their basic structure ruined. The three heroes walked through the main street going through the small town slowly, Cream's chao sensing the air for the powerful energies of the emerald. The silence was enough to make all three heroes prepare for battle, with the hedgehog and dog drawing their weapons.

And yet, nothing showed up.

"Maybe we're just overreacting a bit," Amy sighed, lowering her weapon for a moment.

And then about a hundred portals appeared in the air almost instantly, having the whirling black and white colors affiliated with Ragnarok. Dozens of Aerux and Nerux filled the air, along with a few Neo Nerux while being aided by a lizard like beast with the same colors scheme as the Aerux and Nerux, long whip like tails, and large sharp claws. The Renux joined their brethren along with two Guardians wielding two massive, elegant blades the height of small buildings each.

"We've never fought as many of these ugly guys before!" Luxi realized.

"Well, there's not much we can do. We'll just have to fight them off!" Amy decided. "Cream, since your chao can search out the Chaos Emerald, you should go ahead. Make it quick, and if you run into trouble we'll catch up later."

"Okay! We won't let you down!" Cream promised before she flew high above the closing portals and above the town to go higher up the side of the volcano.

And once she was gone and the winds of the Ancient Volcano picked up the two heroines rushed into battle.

Luxi summoned a staff to each hand as she spun around, knocking two Nerux out of her path. An Aerux swooped down to attack her, but she waved her staff out, causing a spear to materialize out of thin air and impale the beast. As its particles washed over her she leaped through and slammed multiple Nerux into oblivion before leaping over the jabs and pounces of a few Renux. As she descended the dog used her Weapon Rain to unleash a descending volley of weapons upon the Renux, destroying them along with many of the Aerux hovering in the air.

"Take that, you disgusting creatures!" Luxi taunted.

The dog suddenly shifted her two staffs into a battle axe and a spear as two Neo Nerux landed before her, their tridents coated in arcs of black lightning. The first tried to stab her but she quickly caught the weapon in her axe before she swung it back around and impaled the Nero Nerux straight through the stomach, causing it to explode in a burst of violet energy. The other did not go down as easily however, slamming its trident into the ground to unleash ripples of energy that spread out along the ground.

The dog leaped over it while spinning around with her weapons, but the Neo Nerux deflected her attacks before it spread a current of energy up her weapons, shocking her and propelling her through the side of a house. The dog groaned as she got up, only to find the Neo Nerux charging for a final blow. But the dog suddenly slapped the ground, causing a wave of blades to rush up through the ground and impale the Neo Nerux before it could reach her, causing the explosion of violet energy it made to not cause her any harm.

"Hammer Tornado!" Amy shouted on the rooftop above Luxi, spinning two Aerux around and destroying them.

The pink hedgehog landed on the next roof and batted a Renux and a Nerux away before leaping up in the air and smacking a Renux with the side of her hammer. An Aerux swooped down at her but she quickly twirled her hammer while spinning around, hitting the beast multiple times before smashing it into the ground. A Neo Nerux tore at her side however, dropping blood onto the roof but Amy quickly unleashed a Storming Hearts, the large gust of pink wind and hearts disintegrating the Neo Nerux and causing it to explode almost instantly upon impact.

The pink hedgehog leaped to the side as a Renux tried to cleave her head off with its large claws but she quickly knocked it to the side, only for another to come for her. She leaped over its pounce and landed only to roll to the side of another. The Renux surrounded her on all sides and its seemed to be the end for Sonic's lover. But then she unleashed her Hammer Toss technique, throwing the hammer surrounded in pink winds which targeted the Renux and killed each one before returning to her grasp.

"That's how it's done!" Amy said confidently.

She dropped down from the roof next to Luxi as the particles left over form the Ragnarok Beasts faded. But then the two stood back to back as the Guardians stood at two different ends of the street, holding their swords menacingly. The two heroes looked at each other, mentally preparing, and then nodded before charging at the Guardians with great ferocity while two portals appeared in the air and released two Airbornes.

The sound of the fight could be hard all around the small ruined town.

* * *

Cream and the three chao floating above her finally landed on the ground in what could only be called a wasteland. A thick coating of ash covered the entire area, with hardened black rock forming small islands through the seas of ash. Cream landed on one of the islands, and looked out to a larger 'island' of ash. She landed on it as the light blue glow from under the ash became brighter, and her chao uncovered the cyan chaos emerald, dropping it safely into Cream's hands.

The rabbit had seen the emeralds before, but not like this. Not in her hands, where she could truly feel the Chaos Emerald's power. The chaos energy pulsing around her could only be described as out of this world, and the rabbit could understand how much more potent those who could truly harness it's powers were in battle. She could also understand why people fought so hard to acquire them-they probably could create miracles once together and complete.

"You know what I want," a familiar voice said, though Cream could not tell how it was familiar.

She turned around to find herself face to face with another Ragnarok agent. His clothing completely concealed any his features as his cloak blew about in the wind violently. The figure held his hand out to Cream for the emerald despite the distance they stood apart, but Cream simply leered at him as her chao prepared for a fight.

"I don't care who you are. I'm not as weak as I used to be," Cream told him, balling her hands up into fists, "I will fight you to the death."

"We do not have to fight," the Ragnarok agent said, his voice still very familiar. "Your father taught you that better than anyone else.

_"I have to go on another mission Cream," the tall green rabbit said, holding the cheek of the young peach furred rabbit. He had on his GUN Commander uniform with his spy mask hanging in the grasp of his other hand. A green hero chao with blue highlights and a GUN badge on its chest floated in the air next to him, waving bye to Cheese as it was the only chao Cream had at the time. "I'll be sure...to come back soon."_

_"I'm tired of you always leaving," Cream pouted. "And I heard you and Mommy talking. This mission is different than the other ones...isn't it?"_

_"Yes. I'm going to be doing something that I should not be doing and is very dangerous, but it is for the greater good," he said. "If I succeed then maybe I'll be around more, and you could think of your Father Mintra and his chao Chaosky as a big hero."_

_But despite all of this Cream could see the downcast look of her mother in the doorway, her chao Chaberry also by her side, and she could still tell that Mintra was saying all of this to make her feel better. But the Mintra lifted her chin to stare into his calming cerulean eyes, and he gave a such a reassuring smile._

_"Let me tell you something about chao before I leave," Mintra said, which caused Cream to gasp slightly. "A Chao's greatest power are their bonds. Whether it is to their human or anthro partners or to other chao, their bonds are so great that it can form a power on par with the strongest of anthro bonds. Maybe you should try to see if your chao can form an even more special bond with you, or maybe to the other chao in our garden."_

_"Okay! I'll try my best!" Cream promised._

_"I'll show you more of how I do it when I get back," Mintra offered. "And I promise you, and your mother, that I'll be back."_

_The rabbit got up and kissed Vanilla before he walked out of the door and into the taxi waiting for him. The dusk began to set to a peaceful night and Vanilla and Cream had hope. Maybe things would turn out differently this time and they could all live peacefully without the fear of the tyrant GUN officials over Mintra's head, and in a way, theirs._

_That peaceful, warm summer night was the last time they would ever see Mintra the Rabbit, wife of Vanilla and father of Cream. When he disappeared without a trace, but of them kept up a search, but to them it became clear that it did not work, that he was dead and forgotten. Even when GUN changed and more peaceful leadership came in power, Mintra would still be forgotten to the world, or at least dead to it._

That memory always surfaced when she thought of him deeply, which she hadn't done for so long in such a manner. Not since she fought against Refuu and Leo in Chun-Nan with Amy and learned how to do her Chao Call for the first time. Based on what he said and how it invoked such a familiar feeling, this person had to be related to her late father Mintra in one form or another, and she would find out exactly how even if it took everything she had.

"Who are you?" Cream asked.

"I believe that you would rather not know," the figure stated.

"But I do," Cream argued.

"Very well then. The sooner you accept these changes, the sooner you will accept that you will not be victorious in this war," the figure as he removed his hood.

The moment he did Cream was left in shock, dropping the emerald to the ground as tears rolled down her face and she stared at the impossibility before her that was the identity of the Ragnarok agent. The rabbit had light green fur, and the outside of his eyes and the edges of his ears, which were shorter than Cream's but still long, were a dark forest green. The rabbit's eyes were a bright yellow. His muzzle was a pale white and his nose was short. To his right floating in the air was a dark green neutral chao with a blue ball on top of its head, and light blue highlights on its fists and legs, along with having yellow wings.

Mintra the Rabbit, the supposedly deceased husband of Vanilla the Rabbit and father of Cream the Rabbit stood before her with his chao Chaosky, a calm smile on his face as he looked upon the form of his daughter. Without speaking he walked towards Cream slowly, the rabbit paralyzed in fear as he walked over and picked up the cyan Chaos Emerald, rubbing the top of Cream's hand as sat there, paralyzed by her own shock and sorrow.

"Why...?" was all Cream could ask.

"It was necessary, Cream," Mintra stated, his voice strong. "GUN abandoned me, used me as a scapegoat in the field, and I realized as I laid dying that this world was unjust, and merely victim to the savage nature of anthros and humans."

"But...you're here..." Cream argued quietly, her eyes wide open.

"Yes. I was resurrected by a pure being, known as Nebula," Mintra explained. "He helped me to get over my turmoil, and to end the evils that plague our world, at any cost."

"To...end it?" Cream wondered.

"Yes," Mintra smiled. "The absolute chaos will give way to new creation on the Spring Equinox. It will be glorious."

"This...can't be real!" Cream squealed, bursting into even more tears.

"But it is," Mintra said, putting away the emerald and moving to walk away. "Now I will be the extension of a divine force, the hand of a god. It is unfortunate that you do not see things my way, but I believe you will eventually turn around."

"Cream!" Amy shouted, her and Luxi being covered in injuries as they jumped onto the island of black rock through the seas of ash. "Step away from her!"

"It's been so long, Amy," Mintra said, the pink hedgehog looking in shock as she recognized his face. "You've grown so much."

"You kids are punks. I'll take him!" Luxi declared, rushing forward at him with two katanas in each hand. "Bring it!"

"I wouldn't recommend doing that," Mintra cautioned, Chaosky suddenly sitting on his shoulder and almost phasing her limbs into him, causing a twitch of quick pain before a turquoise aura surrounded him. "Chao Unity."

The dog suddenly lunged at him with both swords shooting forward but the rabbit waved out with his hands, creating tracing paths of chao like gel in the air. The Chao Zone expanded in the air in the moment, deflecting Luxi's attacks before fading each time. The dog growled and tossed her katanas forward, but Mintra flipped over them quickly before landing in front of Luxi. The dog summoned a large spear into her hand but Mintra suddenly held both of his hands out, causing large pointed extensions of chao like gel to protrude out from them.

Mintra swiped out with his Chao Blades, cutting down the large spear as she lunged it at his chest. When he was done she was holding a large stump Mintra relinquished one of his blades, sliced at one of Luxi's pressure points in her arm before he smacked her with his palm and then pushed her away through the stomach, tossing her effortlessly through the air and submerging her in the ash. Amy recovered for just a moment and tried to hit him with her hammer but he sliced it apart with his Chao Blade before he kicked her aside.

"An admirable effort ladies, but I have the stronger will, and so that makes me the victor," Mintra stated, snapping his fingers as a portal emerged in the air. "Farewell, Cream and Amy. I'm sure we will meet again before the end of this. I may not be proud of the sacrifice I have made, but the end result will be worth it all."

And then he was gone, leaving the three broken heroes in the wasteland that was the Ancient Volcano, faced with facts harder to accept than mostly anything they had before.

* * *

**Location: Westopolis**

The city was just recovering from the Cyber Liberators, with heavy construction all over the metropolis. But peace finally began to settle in, and the people moved around with confidence that eventually things would return to normal. The new President and GUN Commander seemed to be working out nicely, and Ragnarok seemed to be staying away from the United Federation at the moment. Things were working out.

But then, all of a sudden the sky darkened and a massive portal formed in the sky. The black and white whirling vortex released a massive Ragnarok Beast. It had four wide white wings, a sleek black armored body with white highlights, bright violet eyes, a large maw, and a long tail along with four powerful black legs. As it flapped its powerful wings and the screams of horror began to fill the city, more Aerux and a few Airbornes emerged from the large portal before closing.

The Aerux and Airbornes swooped down on the city, destroying everything in sight while Typhoon rode on the back of the Death Wyvern, her stormy gray eyes determined for destruction in the name of her beliefs. The Death Wyvern reared its head back before it unleashed a powerful storm of ebony and ivory flames which blanketed half of the city and destroyed everything it touched, dimming out the rest of the world around them.

Typhoon smiled slightly as she looked down upon the chaos. Ragnarok's hells for this world had just begun.

"Now, my existence has reason," Typhoon said.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And there is the first chapter of this great arc, with the shocking revelation of the last Ragnarok member! Can Cream overcome her past to defeat one who used to be a great hero? Will Westopolis survive the sudden attack? What is happening with the other heroes? And what truly is Sonic's destiny? Hang tight for the next update, which will explore another main avenue of this war!


	43. Cold Realities

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 43: Cold Realities

**Location: Flurry Woods**

The Flurry Woods laid on the border of Apotos between the Pole Ocean which led over to Holoska. The cold from over the water caused the constant downpour to instantly become fine coated snow, which the white fluff covering the entire ground of the place. Frozen lakes covered much of the rest of the area, and trees littered the entire area, having adapted to the constant winter that they still have their leaves, though they were a very light metallic blue. The sky above was beautiful ivory as the snow flakes fell peacefully down from the sky, blanketing the ground.

Gemini, Knuckles, Rouge, and Repul marched their way through the cold woods, their boots leaving footprints in the thin coating of snow. Repul, Gemini, and Knuckles had recovered from his fight against Havoc and the subsequent collapse of the Coastal Valley Mansion, but Rouge was on the mission for reasons of her own. From what happened to Shadow and what happened with her and Omega, both of the former Team Dark members realized that Shadow had reason to leave GUN and them all and find his way, as the Cyber Liberators were only a byproduct of GUN's shadowy operations.

So now Rouge and Omega were working with the heroes, using what they knew from GUN to help them defeat Ragnarok in the unfolding war while searching for Shadow, who seemed as if he had just disappeared off the face of the planet. And now the four were searching out the emerald in the Flurry Woods, hoping to get there before Ragnarok. But one of their own had other plans. The guardian was sensing out the emerald, but for some reason Gemini was ahead of them all, determination in his amber eyes as their winter coats flapped in the soft wind.

"We've searched all of the United Federation," Rouge stated, "There's no place we haven't uncovered to find him."

"Maybe he's on the Ark," Knuckles shared. "I mean, it's sacred to him, isn't it? The perfect place to be away from everything."

"GUN has been monitoring the Ark since Shadow used it against the Black Arms," Rouge said. "If Shadow was hiding there, they would know and they would tell us. It's important that we find him. Not only does he need his friends right now, we need the green Chaos Emerald which he took with him."

"With Shadow having the green emerald, us the yellow and the red, and Ragnarok the cyan, there's only the vermilion, cerulean, and white emeralds left to get," Repul said, "and Ragnarok won't give them up without a fight."

"That's what I'm counting on," Gemini said.

"But I thought we were supposed to avoid conflict if possible," Repul argued.

"That's what Tails and Sonic are telling you," Gemini said, "Bu we're going to lose this war if I don't get my memories back. And I intend to take it from them by force. I _was_ one of them, after all."

"We're getting closer to the emerald," Knuckles said as they ran along the border of a small frozen lake quickly, moving as fast as they could.

"Good," Gemini said, "then we'll be one step closer to unlocking Ragnarok's secrets."

But as they ran along the side of the frozen lake, Knuckles suddenly stopped, and so did the rest of the heroes. Through the thin layer of trees was a series of snow covered cliffs where a large vortex formed in the air. From it dropped an Executioner and a swarm of Aerux, along with Frost, Aersus, and Nightmare. The three Ragnarok members stood behind their forces as they all stood in between the trees facing the heroes, who had their backs to the lake.

"We know what you're here for," Frost said, "but you won't get it, because unfortunately we need it a bit more than you do."

"We'll be the judge of that!" Repul countered.

"I know what I want," Gemini said. "Give me my memories."

"Can't do that," Nightmare said, something about him raising Gemini's anger, though he couldn't tell what. "Cerebral has your memories in his Mindspeed blade, and he's so insane that he's just been jumping around the world and killing people for the hell of it. You'll never find him."

"Then I'll beat you and drag you until we find him, won't we?" Gemini hissed in fury. "You took from me, and I want them back!"

"So I can feel your betrayal haunting me all over again?" Aersus finally said, hurt and anger in his eyes as he leaped over the Ragnarok Beasts, drawing his massive crushing blades at the same time as he descended upon the shocked Gemini. "No, I refuse!"

Gemini quickly summoned both of his Dark Cutters to deflect Aersus' giant blades, but the force of the pressurized impact tossed his across the frozen lake, only for the jackal to follow. Omega jumped back as the Aerux began to fly in the air all around them with the Executioner watching with destruction in its sharp violet eyes, with Frost riding on its back. Repul and Rouge then got into fighting positions as Nightmare drew his Chaos Cannon Guns, leering down at them with mysterious intent before he smiled and fired upon them with massive laser shots of bold green chaos energy.

"Can you tell me why I betrayed you?" Gemini wondered, only being able to deflect Aersus' heavy strikes instead of stopping them off of his Dark Cutters.

"Because you stopped believing in me and Ragnarok, all for _her_," Aersus said. "Why was she so important to you? She was one of the Chosen! Even if she was one of us, we had to kill her!"

"You mean, Virgo was one of them?" Gemini realized.

"You remember her name?" Aersus questioned, returning the same shock as his anger subsided for a moment.

"I see her...she haunts me," Gemini said, looking over his shoulder to find the brilliant butterfly's form still gazing upon him. "All I know of my past is her existence."

"As if anything has changed!" Aersus roared, anger filling his voice again. "You abandoned Ragnarok for her. You abandoned me, for her!"

"Calm down! I just want to know what happened!" Gemini tried to mediate.

But he could not respond as Aersus tore up the ice behind him, dragging his swords in a long rush before he lunged for Gemini. The crafty hedgehog quickly split in half, one leaping up into the air while the other one flipped behind Aersus and kicked the light blue jackal up into the air before his other body slammed Aersus back onto the surface of the frozen lake and then through it. Gemini's two bodies merged back together as the water rising up from the holes in the ice sprayed his fur, the maroon hedgehog panting slightly. But then the water burst in all directions, spraying down upon Gemini.

The maroon hedgehog covered his eyes for a moment, but it was a big mistake. Aersus kicked him across the face as he descend, knocking the hedgehog across the ice before the jackal sliced out at the air, sending out a wave of pressure through the central channel of his massive blade which cut through the ice and the wind on its way to Gemini. The hedgehog rolled to the side to avoid the Pressure Force and then another before firing a Dark Cannon at Aersus, who twirled around to block them off of his blades before he slammed both of his blades into the ground to create a powerful shock wave.

"Virgo haunts me...but I didn't have to betray everything I know in the process!" Aersus accused. "How could you do that to me, after so long?"

Gemini leaped into the air on instinct, avoiding the Pressure Force running through the ground despite how it pushed him back. As he landed Aersus was already behind him, unleashing a Pull Vortex. The rapid spinning of his blades tore up Gemini before he ceased his rotation and knocked Gemini through a tree. The maroon furred hedgehog grunted as he fell back, only for Aersus to jump above him. Gemini deflected his Pressure Force shot with a Dark Cutter, and as he descended with both swords raised high above for the final kill the ebony striped anthro kicked him away.

"You won't take me that easily, and I can bet some cash on that," Gemini claimed.

But not too far away Omega was standing the middle of a thinning crowd of Aerux. More tried to dive at him, but he blew them all away with his Omega Machine Guns. Eventually more came at him, but he replaced the gatling guns with his Omega Missiles, firing a volley of the deadly projectiles towards Aerux as they dropped out of the air. Two last Aerux swooped at him with blades at the ready but the former Eggman's robot switched back to his claws and spun them around, breaking the necks of the Aerux.

"Impressive, but not good enough!" Frost shouted, his Executioner summoning a massive scythe. "I'm still alive for a reason; I'm not one of the weaker ones!"

But Omega suddenly summoned two unusually high tech black cannons which then pulsed with violet energy. The Executioner swung out with its scythe, unleashing a crescent of black energy but Omega unleashed his Omega Cannons, instantly firing off two powerful beams of fuchsia. The Executioner moved to block but the attack's effect was almost instant, tearing apart the Ragnarok Beast into a storm of particles. Frost narrowed his eyes in anger as he dropped to the ground, Omega switching back to his claws.

"You're the one at a disadvantage here," Frost said, suddenly pulling the snow out of the air and turning them into unleash before unleash a Flurry Storm at the robot. "You may have a great variety of weapons, but this is my environment!"

Above them, Rouge and Repul jumped from tree to tree, fleeing as rapid firing massive laser bursts of green chaos energy destroyed everything around them. The two dashed as fast as they could across the tree branches but the Ragnarok coyote was suddenly at their side, firing off another powerful laser burst. Repul suddenly jumped in front of the bat, expanding his blade and shifting it into a massive shield. The two were pushed back as the branch broke, but they landed mostly unharmed.

Nightmare suddenly leaped up onto another branch and fired down upon them again, but both of them dodged. But as Repul flew through the air Nightmare was suddenly behind him, preparing to fire another laser burst. Rouge shot a Black Wave at the coyote before he could fire, but the image of him simply dispersed into a cloud of black and purple distortions. Suddenly multiple images of the mysterious coyote appeared on all sides before one flipped over and kicked Rouge across the face, causing her to fly across the ground.

"Do you see how futile your efforts are?" Nightmare asked. "It is only two weeks until our vision is realized on the Spring Equinox. Your time is running thin."

"Shut up!" Repul said, summoning upon his sword. From below the earth rose black specks which formed into massive sharp metal constructs. "Metal Downpour!"

The massive metal constructs then formed into smaller sharp fragments as Repul raised his blade, then he swiped out in a large arc, sending the pieces flying at Nightmare all around. The fragments hit rapidly, unleashing bigger and bigger dust clouds from the impact. When the attack was finished massive impacts were left in the ground, with clouds of dust rising up from them. Repul panted heavily as he compressed his blade to normal size again, with Rouge landing near the other side of the crater.

"Did you get him?" Rouge asked.

"There's no way. I saw him get hit myself," Repul stated proudly. "If that didn't work, then nothing else you guys could would."

"Someone's a little cocky," Rouge commented dryly.

But then the coyote, the same one who should have been dead emerged from behind a tree, his guns sheathed and less injuries on his body. From what the two could tell, it was as if a good part of the battle never happened. Nightmare chuckled slightly, exposing his canines for a moment before he closed his mouth and pulled out one of his guns, aiming it at the two. Before either could react he instantly fired a much larger and powerful laser burst, though this one was also faster and was a dark purple with a black outline. And before either could do anything the burst overtook them and the surrounding area.

The blast cut through the trees and reached over to the frozen lake, where Aersus stood with both blades in hand. The rushing burst melted he surface of the lake that it ran over, but then a massive rushing form of black energy shot through the energy and slammed into Aersus head on. The burst of black energy that launched from the impact tossed Aersus clear across the frozen lake before he finally stuck one of his blades into the ground to stop his knock back. Gemini dropped onto the lake as Nightmare's attack faded, bringing the light back to the area.

"We don't have to fight like this!" Gemini stated. "I just want to know the truth!"

"I want Virgo back, my allies brought back to life, and you back! But that will never happen!" Aersus roared. "Kinetic Burst!"

The jackal held out his blade, unleashing a burst of rapidly flying kinetic energy which shot through the air. Gemini looked in shock but as he tried to dodge he was still clipped by the blast, being tossed all the way off of the lake and into the snowy thickness of the trees. Many of the trees toppled over as Gemini moaned from the impact, lying in the middle of the ruins. But as he turned over, he pulled apart the bark around him only to find a dark blue glow from under the snow below him.

The maroon hedgehog pulled it back, only to find a Chaos Emerald lying underneath. The glow was mesmerizing, but Gemini quickly snapped out of it as he realized Aersus was probably looking for him among the wreckage. But the moment he cradled the emerald in his hands he suddenly cried out as a memory shot into his head instantly, forcing him to recall it as the world around him melted away in drenching ivory.

"_What a long day!" Frost yawned, stretching and then laying back on the smooth rock._

"_I know," Gemini sighed. "Fighting those rogue Babylon birds or whatever for those Chaos Drives took everything out of me."_

_Frost, Gemini, Aersus, and an unusual butterfly with brilliant blue, yellow, and green wings along with brilliant lime shaded eyes and a green exterior along with long, dark forest hair all sat on the edge of a rocky cliff which formed from a small mountain in the middle of a mysterious metropolis, only the lights from it visible in the deep night. The four stared up at the starry sky, the stars glistening brightly while the rest of the sky was swallowed in a deep darkness, albeit a peaceful one._

"_If there are so many stars like our sun which allows our world to live, then how many other worlds are there?" the butterfly asked in a light voice. "Are there people on those planets looking up at their stars and wondering if we're here, too?"_

"_Wow, you are really curious!" Aersus said, smiling a toothy grin with a light of hope in his eyes. "Master Nebula says there are, but I don't see how there's a way of knowing, even if he's been around for 5,996 years."_

"_He was around before then, he just wasn't in his state before then," Gemini said. "Besides, why shouldn't there be other worlds just like this one? If this can happen here, then it can happen anywhere. And I bet you there's people out there trying to purify their world, just like we are Virgo."_

"_That would be really cool," Virgo said, giggling and shoving Gemini. "You were so cute today, yelling for Aersus' help while that sparrow knocked you upside the head with her wrench."_

"_Hey! She was insane!" Gemini retorted, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red in embarrassment. "And besides, I was the reason we got away! That hawk was beating Frost like no tomorrow!"_

"_Please! I wasn't even trying that hard!" Frost countered. "Anyhow Virgo, what was your mission today?"_

"_I don't really know. The Master and Typhoon took me to the place where Nocturne was ripped from the ground and into the Twilight Cage. They had gather some chaos energy from the nature around us and put it into those weird machines, and then that was it," Virgo said, frowning in confusion before gaining her trademark smile back. "But I guess it was for the greater good."_

"_I wish time never kept moving," Aersus sighed peacefully. "This moment is perfect."_

"_As long as we have each other, every moment can be a bit better," Gemini said, "right?"_

The maroon hedgehog suddenly flashed out of the memory as the trees whizzed past him. He realize he was being carried by Omega, with Rouge and Repul in front of them. As they zipped across the large tree branches he looked back to find Aersus still chasing them relentlessly, only one sword in hand as he used his other arm to maneuver through the plants. The maroon hedgehog looked at the empty look in his eyes compared to the Aersus he saw in his memory, and he realized the sadness coursing through the jackal's body every moment.

"You know, you were right," Gemini admitted to Aersus, him and the heroes looking in shock. "That time when we were on the rocks was perfect. If only we still had each other."

The jackal stopped in his tracks, leaning on a tree as the heroes continued to flee with the Chaos Emerald in tow. And as Gemini looked back one more time before he fell into unconscious with realization that the emeralds also performed the miracle of giving him back some memories, he saw the tears of frustration and sorrow fall from Aersus' face for the longing of his old friends to the way they were before all of this.

* * *

**Location: Westopolis**

Espio coughed up blood as he emerged from the wreckage. When the building collapsed around him from the winds, the only thing that could save him was his Ninja Leaf Swirl, which blew away the bigger debris enough to save him. Bruises littered his body as he pulled himself up, only to find himself marveling at the strength of the black rabbit. With one technique she destroyed an entire _building_ while her Ragnarok Beast laid waste to the rest of the city. Team Chaotix and GUN together never stood a chance against her.

"You fought against Leo in Empire City at the very beginning of this endeavor," Typhoon realized. "A noble ninja you appeared to be, but apparently you are as delusional as the rest of them."

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Espio called out defiantly, blowing out with a stream of hot flames.

But as the massive shape of flames headed towards her she stomped the ground, causing a massive cyclone to raise up around her which swallowed the flames effortlessly and then she sent the winds at Espio, blowing him away and tossing him through a wall. The chameleon grunted as he was knocked unconscious, with Vector finding him and standing over him protectively. The rabbit looked in surprise, but she then snorted in amusement, as if she was a cat toying with her mice.

"It always seems as if your kind has a constant supply of allies," Typhoon stated as soft winds circled her body, causing her cloak to sway slightly on her.

"We will stop you," Vector promised.

"But I have already succeeded," Typhoon stated, her winds picking up the Chaos Drives lying all throughout the wreckage and putting them in a bag she pulled from her cloak. "This is the biggest Chaos Drive manufacturer in the nation, and I have just attained enough to exert enough power."

"What do you plan to do with all of this power?" Vector asked. "What could all of that energy do for you?"

"That will be revealed on the Spring Equinox, but by then it will be too late for you to save yourselves," Typhoon answered as her Death Wyvern landed in the wreckage. "It is time for us to depart."

"Wait!" Vector demanded as she mounted the massive Ragnarok Beast. "What will happen on the Spring Equinox?"

"You will see," Typhoon replied simply as her Death Wyvern ascended rapidly before beating its majestic wings once was setting off across the sky of the ruined city. "Farewell, Chaotix!"

But as the Death Wyvern flew away with Typhoon on its back, Vector looked at the small mark on the inside of Typhoon's cloak. The ninja tag was clearly outlined, and that was when the crocodile realized that Espio's plan wasn't toe fight off the inevitable but to finally find the mysterious location of Ragnarok's mighty stronghold. Even as they sat within the ruins of Westopolis, Vector still smiled. Things were about to change in the heroes' favor once Espio woke up and tracked the tag. Their losses were about to become victories.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

Mintra and Cerebral bowed down to Nebula as he leaped down from his throne, landing on the floor with an unnatural grace. His calming aura seemed to soothe both of them for the moment, especially Cerebral. What Cyrus had done to him could never be reversed, and it was only Nebula's mystic aura that kept him stable for the moment. Because he was a loose cannon, the only reason Nebula kept him around was to make sure Gemini's memories were not fully returned and for the extra manpower in the war.

"I will be departing for a while," Nebula stated, revealed to be in his Mech form. "Both of you, stay here and guard the emeralds until further notice."

"Yes Master," Mintra nodded.

"But where will you be going?" Cerebral asked nervously, his eyes bloodshot.

"I will be paying the last Chosen a visit," Nebula said, smiling slightly. "After all, it's time I get acquainted with my current largest enemy."

And then he was gone, disappearing into one of his black and white whirling vortexes which catapulted him through time and space towards the blue hedgehog, the only current force that could truly stop him from his purification of the sinister shell of a world the Enigmatic One left behind.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: So there you have it! Sonic and Nebula are on their way to meeting for the first time while two emeralds are still out there and Gemini has learned that the emeralds allow him to gain some memories back. What is hidden in Gemini's memories? Who is this Virgo truly? What happened to her? And what Nebula have to share with Sonic now that they are destined to cross paths? Hang tight for the two parter coming up next, which will have everything to with the God War, and Sonic's destiny in the current war.


	44. Cycling Destinies Part One

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 44: Cycling Destinies Part One

**Location: Nocturne's Void**

"This is the last place I would expect the emerald to be," Knuckles stated, looking around at the area.

"Same here!" Fang said. "This place gives me the creeps, like something terrible happened here."

"No kidding," Sonic replied, his traditional smirk on his face. "This is where Ix's whole ambitions for world conquest were ripped from the planet and into the Twilight Cage on the same day that the Knuckles Clan was destroyed by Chaos. It's almost fitting that the emerald would be here."

"This place...it was where the peaceful nature of my people was destroyed forever," Shade said sadly, having returned from helping heroes around the world fight off Ragnarok's attempt at collecting every energy source possible. "Imagine how things could have been if none of that ever happened...maybe Ragnarok wouldn't even exist."

"Good point, but there's nothing we can do about it now," Sonic said. "Don't worry Shade, you still have a place with us."

"Thanks Sonic," Shade sighed. "I really appreciate that."

But even though he said that, Sonic could understand why she felt such sadness from being in this horrible place. Massive black spires and gears rose from the wrecked and uprooted ground, while the ruins of the great society that was Nocturne laid all around them. Massive green cliffs rose around the area which stretched for miles and miles, with passages leading underground to old Nocturne outposts and labs. The sky above was storming, and little rain fell from the sky above, as if ti was starving the sad place of even its tears.

The place had an aura of tragedy about it, as if something great had been utterly destroyed. The blue hedgehog could only wonder why the Chaos Emerald would choose such a terrible place to hide away in, though he suspected it would be below the surface. The four walked through the area, moving over the destruction and trying to ignore what they knew as they pressed forward towards where the Chaos Emerald would be. Sonic only thought of his goal as he tried to neglect the tragedy all around him, and he could only wonder was this was like for Shade, as this place was supposed to be her home.

"You're gonna be okay?" Sonic asked, turning towards Shade.

"Yeah...I'll be fine. Don't worry about me," Shade shrugged off, trying not let her sadness get to her. "We need to find that emerald. After what's been happening to the other heroes, I only hope Ragnarok doesn't have something in store for us here."

"It's okay," Sonic said with surprising conviction. "I can handle it."

And while Shade was doubtful, Knuckles believed him. He could feel the power coming from Sonic, and it was different than ever before. Not in the raw power, which was always large, but how it was so controlled and harnessed, while still being so natural-Sonic had become far more powerful since his Chosen training with Chrono. He may be the only chance they have of defeating Nebula, even though he is the most powerful god from the God War.

"Guys, watch out," Knuckles warned.

"What's the deal, kid?" Fang asked, pulling out his trademark pistols.

"Something is coming, and its signature is beyond all of us," Knuckles stated, suddenly moving into a fighting position.

The small portal opened up in front of the heroes, its whirling black and white depths releasing only one figure. The portal closed up as the being landed on the ground, his hood off and his long coat flapping in the windy rain. He quickly undid the buckles on his long sleeveless Ragnarok coat, allowing it to fly off of his body as his metallic orange exterior was revealed, along with his whip like tail, glowing swirling vermilion markings, and blood red ringed eyes. Mech Nebula looked at the four with little expression, though his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked upon Sonic.

"Who is that?" Sonic asked, while Knuckles just looked in shock.

"That's the Lord of Ragnarok, Nebula," Knuckles stated to Sonic's surprise. "He was the one who helped to destroy the Coastal Valley Mansion and declared war on the world."

"And he's also the one that killed Chaos, according to Tikal," Sonic realized, glaring at the robotic form of the vengeful god.

"What a place for the emerald to be in," Mech Nebula said, staring up at the sky. "I witnessed the Argus Event. Though the Nocturnus deserved it, it was still tragic altogether. I wished it could have ended any other way."

"The Lord of Ragnarok saying that?" Fang laughed. "Please, we're not fools!"

"The destruction I cause is only necessary in order to save this world from itself," Mech Nebula defended. "And if it is through its end, then so be it."

"Did that mean you had to kill Chaos?" Sonic wondered. "Tikal told me everything. He was your best ally, and he only did what he did because you threatened to destroy everything he cared about."

"Chaos died because he wouldn't allow sacrifice in the name of progress," Mech Nebula responded. "But it does not matter either way. I do not have to justify my actions in the face of mortals."

"You're right, it barely matters," Sonic stated challengingly. "We both need the same emerald, so let's settle this. I have nothing to prove to you."

"So eager for combat," Mech Nebula sighed, suddenly turning his left forearm into a missile launcher with a long blade on the end of and his right into a large chain gun, along with activating the jets on his back. "No matter. It will be entertaining to fight you in combat."

"Let's get him guys!" Shade shouted.

"No, I'll take him," Sonic decided. "Besides, it's my destiny to beat him, right?"

"I would not depend on that," Mech Nebula said, still retaining his eerie calm. "A Knuckles Clan warrior and a Nocturnus Clan soldier, coming together as allies and friends. If they can defy their fate, then why cannot I?"

"Because I won't let you!" Sonic vowed, rushing forward at Mech Nebula before stopping and using the momentum to help him unleash his attack. "Sonic Wind!"

The blue hedgehog tossed the powerful swirling gusts of cyan wind forward as they repelled the debris in their path towards Nebula. The Lord of Ragnarok's jets flared as he launched forward before unleashing a massive missile which detonated with a powerful explosion that tore apart the winds. As the smoke expanded into a cloud, Nebula emerged from the top, smoke rolling off of his jets as he unleashed a wave of chain gun fire down at the heroes in a powerful spray.

Knuckles quickly smashed his fist into the ground, uprooting a massive slab of earth with his chaos energy to protect all of them, Sonic quickly leaping behind it. When the hail of gunfire finally stopped Sonic ran up the slab and launched off of it at breakneck speed into the air towards Nebula. The mechanized fighter simply shot his chain gun at Sonic but he spun into a ball to curve himself past Nebula towards one of the spires before he ran up the side and rebounded off near the top, shooting towards Nebula like an arrow, flipping multiple time to gain momentum.

"You're even faster than I anticipated," Nebula admitted.

"And you're stronger than I anticipated-well, that's not true, actually," Sonic taunted.

The blue blur launched out and stomped Nebula in the chest, but instead of kicking off, he grabbed both of Nebula's weapons and pushed down, causing them to spiral out of the air. Nebula tried to wrench himself out of Sonic's grasp, but he held on with an iron grip. The blue hedgehog let go of his chain gun for a moment only to slam his palm into Nebula's chest and unleashed a point blank Sonic Wind. The blue wind stream smashed into Mech Nebula just as Sonic let go, smashing him into the ground and sending the winds in every direction.

Sonic landed on the ground softly, grinning as he looked at Nebula, who did not move. The blue hedgehog waited and waited as Nebula laid there. The other heroes looked at Nebula in the same way, waiting for any reaction as the dust rolled away and the Lord of Ragnarok laid there. And just as Sonic relaxed, the mechanical being suddenly jumped to his feet and fired his chain gun at the blue hedgehog, who zipped to his opposite side to avoid them. Mech Nebula hissed as his jets sparked and fizzed, instead absorbing them into his metallic skin.

"Looks like I couldn't take you out, but I still got your jets," Sonic said proudly. "Since I got your jet pack, I got half the battle, don't I?"

"I suppose you could claim that, Sonic the Hedgehog," Mech Nebula scoffed, changing his right forearm to a long, electrified blade and his left into a large, multi-barreled cannon. "But it would be foolish of you to underestimate the Lord of Ragnarok."

"Suppose so, but I don't really care," Sonic smirked before launching at his enemy.

Mech Nebula unleashed a barrage of thin lasers at Sonic, but he weaved between them before suddenly blurring out of his existence, his azure afterimage lingering behind for a moment. Mech Nebula turned around as Sonic swung a fist for his head, only to find that he had side stepped him and swung around with his blade. The blue hedgehog cried out as his side was sliced, causing him to stumble slightly. But as the God of Rebirth tried to impale him through the back he only dispersed Sonic's afterimage. Nebula looked in shock, jumping back only as Sonic dashed at him from side with a Sonic Storm in hand, its blade like winds only being amplified by his raging speed.

The mechanized being quickly fired a compressed electrical bolt from the tip of his blade, which Sonic repelled by unleashing a powerful Sonic Wind from the other hand. The clash of their attacks unleashed powerful winds which Sonic blurred behind, appearing in the air above Nebula and slamming his Sonic Storm into his back. The powerful high velocity azure winds launched him away in a powerful release of winds and through a massive spire which formerly rooted Nocturne to the ground and the labs below it, causing it to collapse and unleash a large plume of dust which drifted up into the air, putting a small haze over the area.

"I know you're out there," Sonic said. "If you didn't survive that then you couldn't be the Lord of Ragnarok."

"So prone to violence," Nebula stated. "My destruction is necessary, but I could hardly say the same for you. The savior of the world, being so reckless and violent? And you're supposed to be better than me? Either the Enigmatic One is a fool, or he simply doesn't care."

"Shut up," Sonic hissed. "You're delusional. How would the destruction of this world save it?"

"That's the point," Nebula replied, a light suddenly shining from within the haze. "This world is full of war, with people in high places having malicious intentions, and foolish and dirty mortal creatures having far too much power. So I will take this world's state into my own hands and end it. And out of the ashes I will create a new world, a glorious and perfect one."

"The world's flaws help to make its greatness even more noticeable," Sonic argued. "That's why I have to win, so I prove your crazy ideas wrong."

"Admirable," Nebula said, "but still incorrect. Node Drive!"

The mechanized being shot massive sweeping blasts from his cannon, which overtook Sonic in an instant. The waves of light ripped apart everything in its path before Mech Nebula finally stopped after about a minute, panting heavily as he withdrew his laser cannon for his normal arm. The massive path of emptiness left behind by Nebula's attack was finally revealed to be empty, causing the God of Rebirth to smile slightly. He had defeated the one who was supposed to kill him, therefore escaping his destiny.

"I told you, I'm going to do anything to win," Sonic stated, his voice slightly warped and more aggressive. "So my will can be greater than yours. By the way, this is for Chaos! My declaration of war on you!"

The formerly blue hedgehog had almost instantly transitioned into his Dusk form, indigo runes spread over his dark navy body as his vermilion eyes stared down his opponent with great determination, ignoring his injuries from the Mech Nebula's attack. He held out his hand, and in an instant summoned a cerulean Sonic Storm three times the size of a normal one. Mech Nebula fired a series of electric bolts at Dusk Sonic, but he blurred in a rippling streak of navy before he appeared in front of the Lord of Ragnarok and smashed him with the large Sonic Storm.

The world seemed to stop for a moment before a massive dome of black and navy blue covered the entire area him and Nebula fought in. When the winds finally died Sonic was back to his normal form and the pieces of Mech Nebula were lying a few feet from him, almost entirely annihilated. The blue blur panted for a few moments to collect himself before the other heroes walked over to him, being taken completely by shock at what had happened. The blue hedgehog got up as the smoke cleared, revealing the slightly more ruined area.

"You actually beat him!" Fang realized. "Even Knuckles, Blaze, and Tain couldn't defeat Nebula, and you did!"

"Thanks for reminding me," Knuckles said sarcastically. "Besides, that's not the end of Nebula. He now knows not to underestimate you, and he has far more power than that. He can spread himself between multiple forms somehow, remember?"

"But now we have a free shot at the emerald," Shade realized.

"Yeah Knuckles, don't worry," Sonic agreed. "Besides, we should hurry. Nebula could still send other forces after us, and we have no way of knowing."

Realizing he was right, the group marched on past the ruins of Mech Nebula towards the beacon like energies of the Chaos Emerald, calling out to all of them. They continued on through the tragic place they were in that served as a reminder of the dark side of war for minutes and minutes, until Knuckles suddenly stopped. The others looked in confusion but he suddenly slammed the ground with a Deep Impact, blowing apart some debris that revealed an opening to the catacombs below Nocturne's ruins. The four looked at each other in shock, but then Sonic shrugged and leaped down, followed by everyone else.

The walls of the old Nocturne catacombs were made of black stone, with the only light coming from the blue crystals lining the ceilings and higher walls. As they passed through the secret areas, observing the maze of pathways and and corridors, only the intuitive tracking chaos abilities of being Chosens and Guardians, and Shade's technology kept them on the right path. The female echidna realized she was probably born down here during the Argus Event, but all thoughts of Nocturne were behind her. Nebula was right about one thing. She could change her fate, and so she did not have to be tied to them anymore.

The group opened up into a large room with a high ceiling. The vermilion Chaos Emerald floated in the air, letting off faint pulses of vibrant color, lighting up the rest of the circular chamber. Sonic looked at the emerald curiously, even knowing that the emerald was unusually active. Knuckles looked wary as Sonic grasped the emerald gently, holding its power in his hands.

"Sonic, there's something up with the emerald. No emerald should be acting like that," Knuckles warned.

"We're fine dude, we already got it and the only only other person who could control the emeralds is Nebula, and I pounded him into the ground," Sonic dismissed. "Besides, what's the worse thing that could happen?"

And suddenly his question was answered as swirling unstable energies picked up around the emerald, drawing energy from Sonic himself. The blue hedgehog tried to pull back, but it was too late as the vermilion flash overtook everything the room. All of the corridors around the central room lit up for a second before dying down, leaving nothing behind but the Chaos Emerald itself, which then stopped glowing so violently. Then the catacombs were silent and empty just as before, whisking the heroes away through space and time.

* * *

**Location: Gale Meadow**

The vermilion flash released Sonic, Knuckles, Fang, and Shade on the top of large cliff with a rocky outcropping but with large blades of grass which reached up and swayed against their ankles. The entire area around them was a massive meadow with the long, beautiful grass, stretching for miles and miles with rare trees spread across the landscape. The sky looked as if it was preparing for a storm, with the sun's light being squeezed out by the dark clouds. The area around them simply seemed too natural to be from any location on the planet, not a meadow that stretches that far.

"Why were we transported here?" Knuckles wondered.

"I think we should be worry about that a little bit more!" Fang said, as they realized the valley was filled with chaos.

The area around them was filled with battle from weapons and chaotic attacks far removed from their time. Colored bursts of energy radiated throughout the area, and weapons clanged and the sounds impact rang through the air. The armored soldiers of Nocturne fought with great power, unleashing their powerful weapons and unique technology by blasting, slashing, and teleporting their way through their enemies. But their adversaries appeared to be unique on their own, being some sort of tribe. Their members wore the same ceremonial accessories but otherwise seemed to be completely unique, fighting with their own powers and weapons against the Nocturne Clan.

"You know, the Nocturne aren't supposed to be around," Shade said. "From what they have here, it seems like this is before the Argus Event."

"So you're saying..." Sonic realized with shock.

"...that the Chaos Emerald used Sonic's energy to teleport us not only through space but through time, at least 4,000 years back before the Argus Event and the Knuckles Clan's destruction," Knuckles concluded. "But how, and why?"

"Well, Chrono said the God War that caused all of that to happen created the Chosen," Fang said. "And two of us are here!"

"Maybe we can find a way back or get some answers if we find the Chosen from the God War," Shade replied. "After all, Sonic still doesn't know how he will able to defeat Nebula."

"Why do I have to be the one to defeat Nebula again? What about Shadow?" Sonic groaned.

"Well, you're a Chosen, so you naturally have the potential to beat Nebula," Fang said. "Besides, you're the last Chosen for a reason. Not only are you the strongest, but Chrono constantly talks about how he visions of a hedgehog who looked just like you. Before Chaos died, he said that he fought alongside him, Xavnu, and sealed Nebula away."

"So if he's the only other person who ever defeated Nebula, then I need to know how to beat him somehow," Sonic realized. "We have to find Xavnu then, and return to our time once we have our answers."

The heroes jumped and slid down the cliff, landing on the ground as they looked at the masses of fighting forces. Blood spilled and the sky seemed to shake from the fighting, or Sonic suspected something else. But all of a sudden Knuckles turned around and swung his fist forward, slamming a massive slab of rock with his hands and shattering it to pieces. The other heroes turned as well, finding themselves face to face with a new figure.

The massive bull stood at twice any of their heights easily, with his horns reaching up towards the sky. Rippling muscles were all over the milky brown furred anthro's body, with his hair a dark brown and his eyes a light blue. The bull had a tan muzzle, as well as a short nose. Golden ceremonial garbs covered his arms and waist, and red tribal marking covered his upper chest and cheeks. The bull stomped the ground with his hooves, causing an earthquake that knocked everyone down. Sonic quickly leaped to his feet and blew a Sonic Wind at him the bull to stop his next attack and give them a chance to talk.

"Who are you and why are you attacking us?" Sonic asked, confused.

"You're with that Nocturnus echidna!" the bull roared, "and as Taurus, the leader of the Leaf tribe, I have to eradicate you people! You are traitors to your races and clans by aiding the Nocturne!"

"You don't understand!" Sonic pleaded, quickly forming an excuse. "She's a spy for us to get inside the Nocturne. She was one of them, but not anymore. We're here to help you guys, but we need some help too."

"Bold words," Taurus said, still wary, "but why don't you prove it?"

But as he said that, the fighting stopped for a moment as the sky began to shift at a rapid rate and the wind picked up. Suddenly a massive tornado the size of a small forest dropped from the sky at the other end of the meadow, destroying everything it touched in an instant and swallowing it up. Knuckles had heard of the God of the Sky, Aelogun and his great power, but he could only stand in awe at the true potential of his raw supernatural force. But then the god like whirlwind began to move with life, moving quickly across the valley towards Taurus and the heroes.

"You have to choose now," Sonic said, "Trust us or don't. But I need to learn how to defeat Nebula to save the world."

"You shouldn't say too much!" Fang hissed in Sonic's ear.

"Nebula? If I could help you in any way to defeat such a force, then allow me to," Taurus said, "If there's a hope."

"I'll tell you how you can help, but we need to get out of here!" Shade screamed as the whirlwind rushed at them.

"Alright, let's dash to shore, where our boats are!" Taurus offered.

"I have a better way," Sonic said, suddenly swiping his hands out. "Chaos...Control!"

And suddenly in a flash of azure they were all whisked away, the whirlwind overcoming the entire area where they once stood.

* * *

**Location: Zephyr Sea**

The small wooden boats filled the area as they cruised through the fog towards the temporary army camp of the Leaf Tribe. Wounded and weary soldiers laid all around as the ships cut through the water. The heroes sat on the deck of one ship while Taurus steered the ship through the waves, salt water spraying up with a unique freshness incomparable to any water of the heroes' time onto the deck. Sonic realized that only the fog separated them from Chaos' wrath-he probably had not defected from the gods yet, and probably couldn't find them due to Aelogun's mighty power interfering.

"You know, I think this Hume Isle Taurus is taking us to is Prison Island, and Gale Meadow is Central City," Knuckles said. "The geography fits."

"That's good. At least we'll have a good idea about where we're going," Sonic sighed. "I knew I had to figure out how to do this, but not in this way."

"We're going to head to our camp. A special group of allies are staying on the island, and we plan to meet with them to figure out war plans," Taurus said. "The gods are gaining an edge, and Nebula is unstoppable."

"Well, I can help," Sonic lied, knowing he couldn't change anything in this time. "I just need to meet with a blue hedgehog like me named Xavnu. He's supposed to be a Chosen, and I think he holds the key to defeating Nebula."

"Many others believe in his power too," Taurus admitted. "I can take you to meet him, if you want. He is in the camp on the other side of the island right now, as they are planning to storm Diamond City."

"Sounds good," Sonic whistled.

And then they were off, edging closer and closer to Hume Isle and the revelations of Sonic's true destiny in the midst of the God War.

A/N: And so that is the epic beginning of this two parter! What will happen when Sonic meets Xavnu? What is the blue hedgehog's destiny? And what is happening in the present, and what they will change in the past? Hang tight for the next update, which will leave 75% of the story done with even more revelations!


	45. Cycling Destinies Part Two

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 45: Cycling Destinies Part Two

**Location: Hume Isle**

Sonic, Fang, Taurus, Shade, and Knuckles walked across the massive, twisting branches of the Hume Isle. The air was sticky and warm, and it was even moist. Below them fog like vapors rose off of the water, and lightning crashed down from the sky due to the storm Aelogun caused. The island was much bigger than Sonic remembered as they made their way through the trees, the water below them something being as shallow to come up to the top of the grass or even deep as a lake. But despite their unusual environment they continued to navigate towards Xavnu and Sonic's destiny.

"I hate this place," Fang complained. "I'm not used to this heat!"

"Get over it," Knuckles snapped. "We might be spending a while in this place."

"Actually, it will take another hour until we and Xavnu's group reach the meeting point," Taurus stated, causing Fang to groan.

"Don't worry, we got this," Sonic said. "But is there any chance that something could happen on the way there, like being attacked?"

"In these times against such powerful forces, nothing is an uncertainty," Taurus stated. "The likelihood is small however the world is unpredictable now. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, I just had a bad feeling," Sonic said. "There's something powerful around here, and it's not that Aelogun guy or Xavnu, cause he can't possibly be here yet."

"Good point," Taurus nodded. "Look out, men!"

The group continued to trudge on for what seemed to be hours. Finally, they reached a large area where the water was shallow and a large platform made entirely of giant condensed tree roots was made. The blue hedgehog leaped down from the branches and onto another branch near the platform. He was wary after all, and with good reason. Suddenly a moving burst of flames glided through the area and onto the root platform, where it released itself and shaped into a unique form.

The beast seemed to be made of black rock from the strongest volcano, with scarlet lava glowing from within the small crack in the rock. Compact crimson lava connected the beast's flower-shaped feet and large stone limbs to its central pod like body, making it appear to be a large turtle. Spikes covered the top of the creature, and through a hole in the front of the shell was its head, with orange eyes, a maw full of orange lava, and spikes covering the back of its head like a crown. Suddenly it roared out, unleashing powerful winds as lava frothed from its mouth.

"What the hell is that thing?" Knuckles questioned.

"That's one of Crater's little pets, the Deathblaze," Taurus said as his wary warriors pulled out their weapons and began to activate their respective abilities. "They have razed everything they come close to in the name of the gods."

"Are they mortal though?" Shade wondered.

"Yes they are. I thought you would know, as a Nocturne who probably has seen one of them before," Taurus scoffed.

"Well, I was just a recruit," Shade said.

"What's your beef with them, anyway?" Fang wondered.

"The Nocturne have become ruthless now that they have mastered the Chaos power first," Taurus hissed. "They have taken their war not only against the gods and the Knuckles Clan, but against the rest of the world. They attacked our village multiple times and have killed many of our warriors."

"I hate to interrupt our history lesson here, but that thing has just noticed us!" Knuckles shouted, holding out his hands to deflect a blast of flames.

"Alright Knuckles, you and me can take this guy, cause there's no way we can run from fire," Sonic said, "The rest of you, back us up."

"That's reckless!" Taurus exclaimed. "Xavnu barely killed three of those by himself before almost dying, but he's on far different level than most people. There's something special about him."

"Well, let's just say there's something special about me too," Sonic stated. "Let's do this."

Without even another moment of hesitation Sonic leaped off of the branch, charging up a Sonic Storm in each hand. Streams of cyan flowed out behind him as he descended towards the Deathblaze, who looked up just in time for impact. The two rotating bursts of azure wind covered at least half of the creature before the attack released and caused the beast to slide back across the platform. Sonic was pushed back and and he slid to the other end of the platform he was shocked to find more cracks in the beast's armor, but otherwise his attack was completely ineffective.

"Two Sonic Storms did nothing!" Sonic complained. "It doesn't even make sense!"

The beast suddenly opened its mouth in preparation to unleash a fiery blast, but some of the warriors unleashed a downpour of arrows, causing the Deathblaze to roar in pain as the Chaos Arrows exploded in bursts of red. Knuckles then followed it up by holding out his fist and releasing a Grand Thunder Arrow from it, the massive bolt slamming into side of the creature with enough force to blow some of the spire like trees slightly. But in the middle of it all, the Deathblaze was largely unaffected before roaring and unleashing a wave of flames towards Sonic.

"Whoa!" the blue blur shouted.

As the flames were ejected towards Sonic he leaped high up into the air, landing on a branch before he ran across it as the waves of flame rushed towards him. The thick wind was cut apart by the streak that was left behind Sonic as the flames burned everything it touched behind him and spread like an infection. As the flames almost caught up to him Sonic leaped off of the branch and onto another before he suddenly summoned more blue winds to his command and shot down at the Deathblaze. The blue hedgehog slammed his Sonic Tornado into the top of the creature's shell before leaping away, avoiding another few blasts of flame.

"Knuckles!" Sonic called out.

"I got it!" Knuckles said. "Fire Punch!"

The echidna ran straight at the Deathblaze, who roared out before unleashing a fiery blast of lava. Knuckles quickly leaped over it as it hardened all over the roots and other plants. As it continued to be shredded by the Sonic Tornado the guardian punched out as he passed through, his fire coated fist suddenly igniting the entire attack. Cyan and scarlet mixed together in a whirl of power before bursting, causing smoke to cover and suffocate the Deathblaze as it screeched out once more.

The blue hedgehog landed by the red echidna as they waited for the smoke to fade, only for the beast to stomp the ground. Moments later the ground under the two shattered and expanded, knocking both heroes up into the air before the Deathblaze unleashed a combat burst of fire from its mouth, impacting with them in mid air and unleashing a large smoke cloud. It prepared to attack again but then the others sprung into action, unleashing waves of their own attacks upon the Deathblaze only to have most of their attacks be ineffective and the rest to be obliterated in a shock wave of flames.

"Nothing we're doing has any effect!" Fang shouted, firing off a few Reaper Shots which knocked off a few pieces of rock, but not nearly enough to have any effect before he ran out of energy. "Shade, try your Leech Blades on it!"

"Good idea!" Shade nodded, rushing at the creature from behind.

As the echidna ran across the roots and then leaped up into the air she instantly materialized the violet energy blades into her hands before she landed on the back of the Deathblaze and stabbed it in the back. The Nocturne rogue felt the energy course into her, boosting her energies more and more as the energy was taken away from the screeching beast. But as she continued to take away energy, she realized that she wasn't making any real progress, as it's energy sources were almost as great as Imperator Ix's.

Suddenly she realized that the Deathblaze was screaming out to call for an attack. Suddenly Knuckles jumped in front of her as a storm of stones came at them, deflecting them with his Shovel Claws. The two leaped off of the Deathblaze as it unleashed another fiery shock wave to knock away all of the useless attacks coming from the warriors. Shade bowed her head towards Knuckles for a moment to show her gratitude before they both looked at Sonic, who stood at the top of a massive branch.

"I get it," Sonic realized. "The creature's will is bonded to its makeshift body by raw chaos energy, effectively making them indestructible from the outside. So all we have to do is destroy it from the inside to destroy the bond."

"How are we supposed to get inside it then?" Taurus yelled, standing on a lower branch while lifting up rocks from below to smash into the beast. "It is almost indestructible."

"That's true, but luckily you're dealing with a serious badass here," Sonic grinned. "Cause me and Chrono made a super cool technique for me with Chaos' teachings that's perfect for this guy!"

"Well, it's all we got," Fang muttered, rolling his eyes.

Sonic nodded and held out his arm before the energy within himself was released and formed into blue wind which filled the air around Sonic before forming into tight, compact rotational layers of wind which concentrated in the air around the hedgehog's arm. The brilliant blue light emitted from it caused the Deathblaze to look up at him. But then it was too late. In an instant Sonic faded into an afterimage before he zipped across multiple branches and roots and then launched straight at the creature and thrust his arm forward.

The compact whirling winds shot forward at a blinding speed, almost breaking the speed themselves as they shot into the beast. The impact caused a small amount of damage to the Deathblaze as it shot through its face and dissipated into its body, but otherwise it did nothing else. Sonic leaped to the right as the Deathblaze shot a jet of flames towards him, and he concentrated his energy before activating the true effect of his technique.

"Sonic Maelstrom!" Sonic bellowed.

In that instant Knuckles saw the true nature of the attack, in that the winds Sonic unleashed were not the attack but merely the center of the focus of the attack. The massive blades of azure shaded wind suddenly formed in mass amounts in the air before collapsing in on the winds within the Deathblaze and expanding from the pressure in a massive dome of cyan that blew everything away. The Deathblaze screeched out one last time as its form was lost within the raging winds, which then released themselves as the dome expanded and unleashed a sheen of cyan.

Pieces of fiery lava and rock were all that were left behind, landing in the ruinations of what was left. Carving winds were left in the ground and the trees around the Leaf tribe and the heroes from the rest of Sonic's attack, and in that moment they all believed that Sonic could truly be the hope for the future of their world. The blue hedgehog panted for a moment he dropped down on one knee and collected himself, believing for a moment that he had a chance too. And then he leaped down to the ground covered in a small sheet of water and gave a thumbs up to everyone else, signaling that they could move on.

"You know, I could give props to that Xavnu guy," Fang admitted. "I mean, you could barely take out one, and he did three by himself!"

"Thanks for the confidence booster dude," Sonic chuckled. "Impressed?"

"I'll give it to you, that was one powerful technique," Knuckles said, "How often can you use it?"

"Six to seven times in a fight without any boosts," Sonic boasted. "It doesn't take too much energy. All I have to do is condense the energy into the point I aim, and then pop it, like a big bang. Tails helped me with that part, I have no idea how that really works."

"Maybe now you'll stand a chance against me," Knuckles grinned. "Just don't think you can win."

"We'll see about that, Knucklehead," Sonic chuckled as they made their way across the massive branches. "Anyhow, how's you and Rouge?"

"Sonic, we're not dating," Knuckles said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, well even though she's worried about Shadow, she seemed to be confiding in you buddy," Sonic said. "Giving a lady friend some help?"

"You are so immature," Knuckles groaned. "I can't believe you're one of my closest friends. Anyhow, you ready to face Xavnu?"

"It's not like I get to choose a time," Sonic said as the trees began to become less thick and the violent sea could be seen through them. "Silver doesn't get the burden I'm under. If I fail, everything is on me. But it doesn't matter. I have to do this, and I won't back out."

"You don't change," Knuckles chuckled as they broke through the trees. "Here he comes."

The cliffs that made up the opposite end of the island were full of tall blades of grass, and the cliffs stretched out to the length of plateaus overlooking the sea. At the edge of the area was a series of elegant ships which then chained themselves to the shore. The plateaus were razed by flames while a long hedgehog stood in the middle of all of the destruction. He then relaxed, his indigo fur becoming cerulean as he dropped out of his Dusk form. Sonic walked and then looked at the hedgehog in shock, taken aback by the hedgehog's appearance.

The hedgehog had quills very similar to Sonic's, though his quills curved a littles less and seemed to go in a zig zag pattern. He had forest green eyes, a tan muzzle, and cerulean fur. He had on white gloves and jade running shoes that also had a bit of a boot like structure. Red tribal stripes covered his cheeks, and his left arm had a unique yellow striped white bracelet to seemed to brim with power. The thing that most shocked Sonic was that he felt he was looking at his brother, albeit one from 4,000 years ago. Before he even said anything he knew he was talking to Xavnu, the fated Chosen who defeated Nebula.

"That Deathblaze was something else," the hedgehog stated, whistling as he turned around to face the heroes and the Leaf tribe. "Hey, look, the crew's all here. We gonna take down Diamond City or what?"

"We will, as our greatest tacticians have already made a plan. We just have to make sure it will actually work," Taurus nodded.

"Sounds sweet," Xavnu smirked. "We're gonna hit Crater hard. But who's the weirdly dressed people with the weird Nocturnus girl?"

"She is a spy, and they are some 'heroes' we ran into while finding her," Taurus answered. "And the blue hedgehog who is with them says he has a fighting chance of defeating Nebula, but he needs your help."

"Holy crap, we look alike," Xavnu whistled. "So, what do you need from me?"

"Let's go somewhere else," Sonic said. "It's kind of private."

"Fine with me," Xavnu said. And to both of their surprises, they both zipped up a few cliffs at supersonic speeds, suddenly finding themselves far away from the rest of the group.

"You too?" Sonic chuckled as he kicked back, laying in the grass and watching the stormy waters.

"Yeah, it's kind of something I've always had," Xavnu said, kicking back too. "By the way, Xavnu's my tribe name. You can just call me Mach. It's a more friendly name. So, what's the deal?"

"You can't tell anyone because it would cause a time paradox," Sonic stated, realizing that he could b making a big victory or a big mistake, "but I'm a Chosen, like you, but 4,000 years from now."

"The only people who know about that are me, and the scientist who discovered the Chosen, Nestor," Mach said in shock. "Does that explain why we look alike?"

"Well, at least I think so," Sonic replied. "It would be a weird coincidence, after all. But the things is, 4,000 years from now Nebula will be released into the world again, and is planning to destroying everything. And I don't know how to beat him. His powers are mysterious, and he seems to have unlimited power. I felt it, and I don't know how I stand a chance even in my Super form when the time comes."

"Well, you just said that Nebula was released into the world again, so he was defeated once," Mach realized. "How did it even happen the first time?"

"This girl Tikal told me that Chaos' memories said you did it by sealing Nebula's godly force away in a Sacred Seal, I think she called it that," Sonic said. "But because he was set free, I can't just seal him away or this will happen all over again."

"I don't know, Chaos has tried to kill me twice. But honestly, that's the brightest idea I've ever heard. I didn't even know how I was going to beat him," Mach realized. "The Sacred Seal is a perfect. No matter Nebula's strength, I could just trap him in that. He only needs to be taken out of the equation until the other gods and their forces are defeated."

_Wait, did I just give Mach the idea on how he's going to save the world?_ Sonic thought. _I have got to stop doing that._

"But on your problem, I don't know," Mach stated. "I mean, since I can't kill him I'm going to have to place the fate of this world in your hands, even though I just met you."

"I dunno. I'm just so lost," Sonic said, frustrated. "Everything I ever cared for will be destroyed, and I still don't know how to solve it."

"I could see the problems in that," Mach sympathized. "But you know what? If you're anything like me, you probably have the answer in your hands all along and you just don't realize it. Just look within yourself. I think you'll have the answer to that question."

"Thanks," Sonic said. "But now we need a way to get back to our time."

"Well, that's simple," Mach said. "Chaos Control can only go over huge time periods when two people use it together, and since the echidna is new to it but isn't a Chosen like us, he couldn't do it well enough without any emeralds. So if you and me use it together, we could easily push you 4,000 years into the future."

"Cool," Sonic said. "Thanks again dude. I'm better off than I was before."

"No problem," Mach said as the other heroes leaped up to where they were. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Sonic nodded.

The two stood across from each other, charging up their energies before they simultaneously raised their arms up at one another and uttered the name of the godly ability. As their Chaos Control attacks mingled, it formed a blue portal in the air which swirled with the energies rippling in the space-time continuum. Sonic the Hedgehog and Xavnu "Mach" the Hedgehog nodded at each other, knowing that they had their respective duties before Sonic, Knuckles, Fang, and Shade leaped through the portal, hurling them through time and back to their own conflict against Ragnarok.

"Good luck," Mach wished before he zipped across the coastline in a streak of navy, following the whim of the wind.

* * *

**Location: Nocturne's Void**

The heroes found themselves back in the Nocturne catacombs as the blue light faded, dropping from the portal before it closed behind them. Sonic picked up the vermilion emerald once again, finding that it returned back to its normal activity. After looking into its depths for a moment he put it into his quills, trying to absorb everything he experienced in those brief hours in the God War. To him somehow things seemed more clear and yet more vague all at the same time, but he knew he had a job to do. Saving the world once in the past id not mean his job was over.

"You okay?" Fang asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Sonic responded.

"The Aeolus is outside with Silver and Blaze in it. I think we've been propelled forward a few days, actually," Shade said. "I finally got their transmissions."

"Then let's go!" Sonic decided as they rushed out of the catacombs. But as they did Sonic looked back for a moment and remembered the Chosen who could truly understand him, even if it was for a few minutes. And then he rushed out of the catacombs to face the war that laid in the outside world.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

Aersus and Cerebral stood at the helm of one of the black and white portals. Nebula had ordered them to go after the last Chaos Emerald with haste, and the jackal had a feeling that the Lord of Ragnarok finally understood that their victory wasn't so guaranteed anymore. The odds were stacked against them, as there were many heroes and the jackal had to deal with an insane homicidal wolf, along with his own internal suffering.

But the emerald wasn't truly his target. That day, his target would the maroon hedgehog who became his best friend, and then abandoned him. Because maybe if he could eliminate him, his memories of the hell caused by their past would fade away. And with that the jackal gripped his blades and leaped through the portal, followed by the cackling Cerebral. Even if it meant he would destroy everything, the ghosts from his past would fade away, including the ghost of the butterfly who now followed him, too.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so that's the end of our epic two parter! Now that Sonic has saved the world in the past, he will have to right the world by doing it in the future...but yet he doesn't know how. And now Aersus and Cerebral are hunting down the last emerald as well as Gemini. Can Gemini survive the two hunting him down? What will happen as the Spring Equinox draws nearer? What will Sonic's meeting with Xavnu in the past do to their time? And what does Nebula have in store? Hang tight for the next chapter, where Gemini will face what has been dormant in his memories for so long!

Also, there's a new poll on my profile, so check that out as it allows you to help decide what happens in the last quarter of this story. Also, if you haven't reviewed, please review. Any feedback helps to influence the story, and it's nice to hear from the people who love my story so much but won't take the few seconds to let me know.


	46. Link of Memories

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 46: Link of Memories

**Location: Desert Ruins**

The ruins outside Shamar were brilliant. The seas of sand and the sandy rock formations that held the ruins together were illuminated by the light of the full moon, casting the entire idea in a brilliant glow. The stars shined in the sky and there were no clouds to blot out the light, making the night almost as bright as day. The wind caused clouds of light sand to be picked up and roll across the streams of wind, causing the clouds to cover the bottom half of those who walked through. And yet the ruins remained still, untouched by everything but the aging of time itself.

"The emerald isn't that much farther ahead according to the tracker," Alice said, a brown cloak draped over her to protect her from the sand clouds.

"That's good," Tain said, wearing an identical cloak. "I can't take much more of this. This place could be just as cold as Holoska at nigh!"

"Why did you come along anyway?" Alice asked. "You already went after one emerald."

"Because the seven emeralds together perform miracles, and each emerald has unlocked more memories for me. If I get this last emerald, then I can unlock more memories and maybe figure out the rest by myself," Gemini explained, wearing the same cloak himself.

"I wouldn't get too hopeful though," Tain warned. "That may unlock some of your memories, but they would all only come together chronologically when the link is restored. And that can only be done by getting back your memories, probably by killing Cerebral and breaking his sword. Because we don't have all of the emeralds, I don't think that's a permanent option."

"Well, this emerald will get me closer. I can't live without those memories any longer," Gemini snapped, determined to unlock the mysteries hidden in his past. _Then maybe that butterfly will stop haunting me._

The three followed the tracker as they dashed across the desert through the harsh winds in the pale moonlight. The ruins began to thicken as they headed into a unique area. It appeared to be the remnants of a large coliseum, outlined by a ring of columns and the leftover side walls and seats. The three slowed down as they entered the area, walking through the center of the arena. Alice quickly used the tracker as she climbed up onto the stairs, while Tain quickly pulled out an Uzi and looked around warily, trained for any surprises.

Gemini simply breathed in and out, going slower and slower in that rhythm. He looked deep within his own mind, ignoring the whispers of the ghost butterfly that followed him as he relived the new memory that haunted his dreams and permeated his thoughts in the days after. He then breathed in and out slowly one more time, pulling himself out of the world around him as he closed his eyes and was lost.

"_You sure took your sweet time to find me," Virgo said, flapping her brilliant wings as she sat at the edge of the building._

"_Well, you sure have a thing for high places, which I'm not a fan of," Gemini retorted as he walked across the roof and sat next to her as their legs dangled over the edge. "Besides, this place is pretty big."_

"_I know," Virgo nodded. "It's the size of at least more than two whole cities. I'm surprised no one in the outside world knows of this place."_

"_I guess we don't, either," Gemini said. "I mean, Master Nebula said that this way if anyone captures us, we won't be able to tell them anything, and we could always just use the portals."_

"_True," Virgo admitted. "But you know, I'm not a fan of heights. Being high allows me to see the beauty of the world, and that's why I come up here."_

"_But Nebula said the world was full of evils, so how could that be true?" Gemini asked._

"_I guess the evils of the world aren't so obvious. It comes from the people, not the places. Maybe that's why Nebula wants to rewrite the world, so he can make the people as beautiful on the inside as the places on the outside that they live in," Virgo assumed. "After all, this world is beautiful. As someone who can manipulate the forces of nature, I should know."_

"_It makes sense. Nebula is a genius," Gemini sighed. "But still, even though I secretly placed Amy in the hands of that Sonic, I still miss her. After Mom killed herself and Dad sacrificed himself in battle, all we had was our money, my business, and each other, along with Cream. And even though I'm not as alone anymore, it's weird not having her around."_

"_I wouldn't know, being an orphan and all. We always had each other," Virgo said, smiling. "But now I feel like I have a purpose and now I would do anything to insure that. Wouldn't you?"_

"_Yeah. Yeah, I would," Gemini agreed after a long pause, returning the smile before the two looked back over the shadowy buildings and valleys in front of them into the full moon._

The maroon hedgehog snapped out of his memory as the harsh sands hit him full on, putting him back in reality. And just in time. As Alice picked up the white Chaos Emerald, holding it in her grasp, Cerebral leaped over her, grinning as he snatched the emerald, putting it in his pocket while drawing Mindspeed at the same time and clashing blades with Tain, who pulled out two short blades to do so. The surprised fox turned around to see the two fighting as Gemini looked up at her in fright. _No_, behind her.

"If he took what was most precious to me, then I can take what is most precious to him, couldn't I?" Aersus said, swinging his massive blade around in an effort to crush her neck.

And then in an instant Gemini was there, swinging around with a fist full of black energy. Aersus tried to block with his other sword, but not in time. The force of the contact launched Aersus through the air and into the side of the coliseum, causing two rows of seats to collapse on top of him. Alice quickly turned around in shock as Gemini then held a Dark Cannon in his hands moments before Aersus launched out of the debris, lining up with the glare from the full moon before he descended down at the maroon hedgehog.

"Dark Cannon!" Gemini called out.

The obsidian blasts launched through the air towards the jackal, who rapidly sliced them apart with massive swings of his blades. The smoke from the blasts concealed the fate of the coyote, causing Gemini to take a small breather. And in that instant Aersus dropped down from the smoke, firing off a Pressure Force down at the two. Gemini grabbed Alice as they leaped off of the stairs and into the arena below as the burst of pressure ripped apart a good section of the leftover seating ruins.

The jackal himself bounced off of a few pieces of debris and landed in the arena as well, holding both swords out menacingly as he glared at the two. Gemini quickly let go of Alice and summed a Dark Cutter to his hand before he rushed forward at Aersus, who shot another Pressure Force at him. The ebony striped anthro leaped to the side as the sand was sliced in half before he continued his charge. When he was close enough Gemini leaped at Aersus before slicing down, only to have his blow blocked by one of his blades before he thrust up with the other.

But Gemini quickly broke apart and flipped over him as he fired down another series of blasts with his Dark Cannon, scorching the sand along with Aersus' body which became enveloped in the smoke that lingered. As he landed on the other side the jackal sliced out at him from the confines of the smoke but he quickly flipped back multiple times before unleashing another volley of shots from his Dark Cannon which Aersus blocked by using a Pull Vortex, pulling the shots in before slicing them up along with the sand.

"That was a low blow, Aersus," Gemini said as he ceased his attack and the two stared each other down. "I know you're here for me, so let's do this."

"I don't want to do this, but I have no choice," Aersus replied. "I can't let my past haunt me any longer if I am to be of any use to Ragnarok in the Spring Equinox."

"What is happening on the Spring Equinox?" Gemini wondered. "What is so special about this Spring Equinox?"

"It would be the 4,000th Spring Equinox since the last one which almost tore apart the little order over the Chaos energies of the universe," Aersus explained. "And with the fabric of reality fading, Nebula can truly unleash his plan."

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Gemini asked. "I don't remember you fully, but you aren't the person you were when I left. You seem conflicted. Are you sure this is what you want? To end this world?"

"I don't have any other choice!" Aersus roared. "Everything was taken away from me before I joined. This world is nothing but a shrouded Hell, and it has nothing left for me. Even she haunts me now, too."

"Her name was Virgo," Gemini said as he looked behind Aersus to see the ghostly form of Virgo hovering there, and without even looking he knew she was hovering over him, too. "She was one of us. What happened to her?"

"Just shut up!" Aersus roared, suddenly raising one of his blades as massive white spheres of energy spewed from the slit running through the center and into the air. "Pressure Bombs!"

"Dark Comet!" Gemini shouted, running along the ground for a moment before the black energy surrounded him and turned him into a massive missile which streaked through the air as the Pressure Bombs were then launched.

Even the night sky was blotted out by the pure ebony of Gemini's form as he rushed across the area, the Pressure Bombs launching at him. The Dark Comet spun around, rolled, looped, and flipped at incredible speeds as the compact spheres shot past Gemini and impacted the ruins and sand, unleashing powerful explosions which ripped through everything it touched. Aersus tried to summon another volley of Pressure Bombs but suddenly Gemini performed a free fall through the air before he shot into another Dark Comet and launched for Aersus, using gravity to aid his power.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" Aersus roared, suddenly smashing a Pressure Force into the ground to launch him high into the sky where Gemini couldn't reach him as he faded out of his Dark Comet.

"Not really. It was part of my plan, after all," Gemini smirked as his copy rushed up at Aersus in the disguise of the first Gemini's Dark Comet. "Dark Comet!"

"I won't give up so easily!" Aersus snarled, suddenly overloading both of his swords with his Pressure Force.

The jackal slammed both of his swords into the Dark Comet, clashing a clash of ebony and ivory that blanketed the area over the coliseum. At the center Aersus and Gemini pushed towards each other, attempting to overwhelm the other only to increase the force of the stalemate. Finally both of their energies simply burst, tossing both of them down to the ground while Alice watched in shock. As the smoke dissipated in the air both Geminis stood there while Aersus stood on the other side, panting heavily.

"You're running out of energy quickly," Gemini said, "We don't have to fight."

"It's not an option," Aersus hissed. "You will die here."

"Leave Ragnarok behind," Gemini pleaded. "Don't you think that's what Virgo would have wanted?"

"There is no place for me in this world anymore. If Ragnarok creates a new world on top of this world's ashes, then I can finally have a second chance at life. I can leave everything behind, and no one will stop me," Aersus persisted.

But as they said that, Tain was tossed overhead and into protective wall separating the seating from the stairs, leaving a web of cracks in the surface as he fell to the ground. Cerebral cackled madly as he followed suit, using his Mind Boost as trickles of blood fell from his nose and mouth, complimenting his insanity. Tain leaped to his feet and grabbed his short sword to block, only to have Cerebral slam down with an unparalleled force which broke straight through his blade and cut into his leg. The gray wolf cried out as the navy wolf grinned, forcing his insanity into Tain with the wound.

The gray wolf quickly pulled the sword out of him against Cerebral before he kicked the navy anthro across the sand, ignoring the whispering of Cerebral's broken mind in his head and firing bullets from his Tattoo Gun at him. The navy wolf was hit head on by the attacks, but he was persistent as he ignored his injuries and fired a Mind Shot at Tain who saw its outline and rolled to the side. He then leaped up, unleashing his Tattoo Whips which Cerebral cut away at to prevent from fighting him. But then Tain rushed at Cerebral, unleashing one strike which went into his fur and pulled out his Chaos Emerald.

"Give it back!" Cerebral shrieked, suddenly slicing apart the Tattoo Whips before he attempted to surprisingly _stab_ the emerald, only to stab Tain's wrist and make him drop the emerald.

As it flew through the air and landed in the sand Aersus tried to run for it but Gemini, seeing his opportunity to gain even more memories slammed him across the face with a powerful punch aided by black energy, tossing him in the opposite direction. Before Cerebral could go for it again Tain grabbed him by his wound and nodded to the wealthy anthro-this was his only chance. And with that the maroon hedgehog grabbed the emerald as flashes ran through his mind and a whole new memory was revealed to him.

"_Hey, where have you been for the last few days?" Gemini asked as Virgo sat at the edge of the tower, a solemn look on her face as she ignored his question and stared out at the emerging sun over the horizon. "Me, Aersus, and Frost a little have been looking everywhere for you."_

"_Busy with Master Nebula," she said as she wiped away a partially dried up tear on her face. "He had me do more of the nature drawing missions for him. It's a little exhausting, but I'll be...okay."_

"_That's good," Gemini nodded. "I had to do a mission with Sol. She's got an ego, that's for sure!"_

_The two shared a laugh, though a very uneasy laugh on both parts. While Virgo hid her sadness well, Gemini could tell something was wrong. Rays of fuchsia and scarlet began to streak across the sky, revealing the dark ocean in front of them along with a few valleys and rocky hills that made up the coastline of their mysterious locale. The two sat in a temporarily peaceful silence for a while as they listened to the churning of the waves as the world seemed to slowly come to life. For a moment the world's dangers were far removed and things were right for once in their lives._

"_Gemini..." Virgo finally said, causing the maroon hedgehog to turn towards her as the breeze picked up slightly. "What are you going to do when things change?"_

"_What do you mean exactly?" Gemini questioned._

"_This peace before Nebula's war...it's fleeting," Virgo stated. "You haven't even considered the fact you would be fighting your sister, her best friend, and all of their allies. Mintra is prepared to face Cream, but you aren't prepared to face Amy."_

"_I have time," Gemini countered weakly. "Besides, what of you and Aersus?"_

"_Me and Aersus are different," Virgo responded. "You have things left in the outside world. We don't. Besides, the only thing holding you together is the fact that me and Aersus are here. We're your only hope for 'normality'. This bond won't remain the same through Nebula's game, and you and me both know it."_

"_Don't worry," Gemini smirked. "I won't let anyone pull us apart. I promise. And what do you mean by 'game'? He's going to change the world!"_

"_I...suppose you're right," Virgo sighed. "Listen, Gemini. Just...if things get bad, look within yourself to find the way out of this. It doesn't matter who you're fighting for, as long as you are with people who care."_

"_I promise," Gemini nodded, and for some reason he was crying as Virgo opened up a portal. "Virgo, where are you going?"_

"_You are my greatest friend Gemini, and I will never forget what you have done for me," Virgo said, crying as well. "Look out for Aersus for me. And I'm not going anywhere. I will always be with you."_

_And then she allowed the portal to swallow her up into its depths while Gemini just stared, unsure of what events had been put into motion._

"What happened to Virgo?" Gemini asked himself. "Why did she change me so much?"

"Tain!" Alice shrieked. "No!"

The maroon hedgehog turned around just in time to uncover a horrifying sight. Cerebral grinned as his blade went straight through Tain's spine, causing him to cough up blood. His blood covered Alice's face as Tain stood protectively in front of her, captured by fright. Aersus looked at the sight as well with a venomous look in his eyes as if they had deserved the death of their comrade. Gemini fell to his knees as he looked upon the sight and the cackle from Cerebral rang through his mind like the echoes within a cave, never slowing or ending.

But Tain would not go out without a bang. Even deep within himself, Gemini knew that. And so the gray wolf suddenly looked up, swiping his hands across his chest as every tattoo along his body grew to titanic size and came back to life, forming an ethereal warrior-beast around Tain. The Tattoo Griffin roared for a moment, and then it arced out with its lance, leaving behind a massive field of orange destruction. With everyone besides Cerebral being within the Tattoo Griffin they were safe, but as the sands finally settled there was no trace of Cerebral left besides Mindspeed as the attack completely eradicated him.

"My memories," the ebony striped anthro said, recalling what Tain predicted would happen.

But Gemini suddenly closed his eyes, and saw the form within his mind. The navy barrier that separated his mind and conscious from his memories was beginning to collapse inwards as black shards of Gemini's memory floated in the air around the rosy hedgehog, falling through the cracks in the half dome. He then opened his eyes as memories began to play out in a vague form in his subconscious, much of which he couldn't discern-but he knew that Cerebral's blade Mindspeed lying a few inches away mostly unharmed was the last lock on his memory.

"No you don't!" Aersus roared, charging at Gemini who leaped, rolled across the sand and picked up the blade. "You don't deserve to know anything, you heartless traitor!"

"I wouldn't bet on it, not after I came this far," Gemini vowed.

And as Aersus swung around with one blade Gemini clashed against it with Mindspeed, and he knew that without the mental strength provided by its master the blade might as well have been brittle. The moment the blade snapped in two a shock wave of black energy launched Alice and Aersus in opposite directions, leaving Gemini in the center of the coliseum as the navy barrier within his mind finally collapsed and the black shards entered his body. Memories before and after merged together to create the full Gemini within his mind as the blast finally died down and the ebony faded, and he had all of the answers.

"If you wanted to know why I won't really fight you, it's because Virgo told me to take care of you," Gemini stated. "I think she's forgiven both of us for her death."

"You're still so assuming, Gemini," Aersus retorted, getting to his feet as the fully cured Gemini stared at him in either sadness or pity. "I have no place in the world. Ragnarok is all that I have left."

"And who decided that? You?" Gemini scoffed. "Just because the world isn't the place doesn't mean Ragnarok is the place for you, either. You have to make your own way, Aersus. That's what she would have wanted, and we know it."

"Shut up," Aersus said, holding out both of his swords towards Gemini as massive balls of white kinetic energy formed at the tips of his blade openings. "I'll destroy everything with this last attack."

"You always did have the hardest head," Gemini said, causing Aersus to stop for a moment as he recalled memories form a different time as he ran over to Alice with the emerald, concentrating his energies before a purple glow emanated from the Chaos Emerald. "Chaos Control!"

And just as they faded from the area and launched through the space-time continuum, the force from the attack that destroyed the entire coliseum and a good portion of the ruins could be felt even outside of reality as they warped back to Angel Island with Gemini's secrets to Ragnarok.

* * *

**Location: Babylon Airship**

"This is gonna be big!" Jet said, talking through the intercom to them while gripping the steering wheel as the massive aircraft soared up through the clouds of the dawn sky towards Angel Island. "Maybe we could sell it to them."

"I highly doubt the heroes would be fans of mercenary-type work," Espio said as Team Chaotix and the Babylon Rogues sat within the lounging area. "After all, this is for the entire world."

"You sure you got the right location? We can't be wasting our time here!" Storm growled.

"Espio's ninja tags are awesome! He definitely knows where Ragnarok is hiding out!" Charmy said excitedly...as usual.

"Better!" Storm threatened to little avail. "We'll be there soon!"

"Calm down, Storm!" Wave snapped. "We don't need this tension right now!"

"That's good, because that rabbit chick mentioned that the Spring Equinox is the day when Ragnarok is throwing down, and that's three days from now," Vector replied. "You can feel the energies in the air...something is way off."

"You're right," Wave agreed. "What are these Ragnarok people trying to do?"

"I wish we knew," Espio sighed, realizing they were still clueless as to what all of their madness was for.

"Well you're won't have to wait much larger, because Angel Island is only a few minutes ahead!" jet said as the majestic floating island came into view. "Here we come, Sonic!"

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: Gemini's memories have been restored with the deaths of Tain and Cerebral, and Aersus is more lost than ever before. What secrets will be uncovered in Gemini's memories? Who really is Virgo? What happened to her that caused all of these events to be set in motion? And what will Team Chaotix and the Babylon Rogues bring to the heroes? This will all be answered in the next two parter to end this arc, which will be 80% plot development that covers up most of the individual story lines, as after that starts all of the Spring Equinox final battles for the fate of their world. It'll be different for my style, but very cool, so please hang tight after leaving a review telling me what you think!


	47. The Struggles Within Part One

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 47: The Struggles Within Part One

**Location: Angel Island**

"That's awesome!" Amy exclaimed as all of the heroes sat in the workshop. "You guys did such a good job!"

"Well, it's all thanks to Espio," Vector said, punching his shoulder lightly. "He risked his life trying to tag that crazy storm rabbit. But even though the tag was destroyed the signal lingers. We're not sure exactly where it is, but it appears to be somewhere in the South Ocean. The only place close to it is South Island, but that's still really far away. It's literally in the middle of nowhere."

"Smart location," Knuckles admitted. "Almost as good as this place."

"But nothing should even be out there. It's in the middle of nowhere," Rouge countered. "GUN sure didn't have it in their location database."

"Well, it's nice to know where it is, because the Spring Equinox is only three days away and our plan will take a long time," Shade said.

"A plan?" Sonic whistled. "You thought ahead, buddy! You just keep getting smarter and smarter. I just thought I would waltz in theme and knock Nebula off his throne, but that probably see "

"I did, but first we need to know what Nebula is planning," Tails said as everyone looked towards Gemini, who sat in the corner.

"I don't know what's he planning. The only one who really knew was Typhoon. He trusted her more than the rest of us. All I know is that he's going to take advantage of the chaos energies messing with the fabric of reality, in order to destroy the boundaries of this world and create a new, perfect one," Gemini told them.

"The energy for that would be beyond even a god's," Knuckles realized. "How would he get that energy?"

"From the Chaos Emeralds and Chaos Cores," Tails deduced. "So our plan has to involve two major parts. The first would be to have to be to retrieve the items that Ragnarok has so they can't use them, and then the other group would head through the stronghold and become a small strike team to defeat Nebula."

"And what of Ragnarok's forces? The island will be guarded well. There are probably armies of those Ragnarok Beasts, and we can't fight them all off on our own," Blaze added.

"The girl's got a point," Jet agreed. "Even we don't stand a chance against all of them."

"Well, that's about to change soon enough," Tails promised. "Me and Omega created a worldwide transmission calling all heroes to this island to aid us by launching a full frontal attack on the city and getting rid of the rest of Ragnarok's forces so we can do our job. And GUN is on guard now that all of the Chaos Emeralds and Chaos Cores have been captured. The heroes will use the new Tempest airships I made to attack from above with Charmy piloting the Aeolus in the lead. It's not the greatest setup as we have no idea what they're up to, and we won't be prepared in time to attack before the Spring Equinox but it's the best we have."

"Yay! I'm a good pilot, but never have I used such a good plane!" Charmy said excitedly. "I can't wait!"

"Yeah, well, don't wreck it," Vector replied. "We can't be wasting our money on fixing this kid's plane."

"We're going to have to worry about a little bit more than money. If Nebula has his way, all of our existence will be wiped out," Silver reminded.

"Those are the basics of our plan," Tails shared. "It's a little bit more complicated than that, and will be even more so once we the other heroes from around the world arrive. But that's enough that needs to be known in advance until we arrive at Ragnarok's base."

"Sounds good, bro!" Sonic accepted, giving a thumbs up to Tails as the other heroes left the workshop to prepare before the Spring Equinox. But he looked at the two tailed fox, and he saw that something was wrong. "What's up? Something on your mind?"

"It's nothing, Sonic," Tails shrugged. "You should be training. We only have today, then tomorrow. Then it's show time, and we both have big jobs."

"That's true, but you don't seem so hot right now. Tell me what's on your mind dude," Sonic said, zipping to a table next to the fox and leaning against it.

"It's just...me, Omega, Rouge, and Blaze were going over the battle plans, and we questioned what we would do if there were innocent civilians at stake," Tails said. "And I decided that if there were too many civilians in the way, then we would simply ignore them so we could finish Ragnarok faster and save the rest of the world faster."

"A hard but smart move. What's so bad about that?" Sonic questioned.

"I would have never done that a few months ago!" Tails argued in frustration. "It's just not like me. And then Cyrus kept on mentioning how I'm becoming like him, and I think he may be right. My logic is overtaking my emotions sometimes, and I don't know what to do."

"Your decision was hard, but you made the right one," Sonic assured. "It's a sacrifice, but if we went out of our way to save every last person then Ragnarok would take advantage of that. Your logic is good. It might keep all of us from getting killed. And trust me, you're no Cyrus. The dude is psychotic. It'll be hard for you to forget all of the damage and messing around he did to you guys."

"I guess you're right," Tails said, giving a reassuring smile. "I may just be overreacting a bit. I haven't tried to make a New World Order, so I guess I'm not like him after all."

"That's the spirit! I'll see you around. Maybe you can help me with training later. After all, you did help me perfect the Sonic Maelstrom," Sonic promised before giving a thumbs up and then zooming out of the workshop.

And the infectious assurance Sonic left behind gave Tails a new sense of hope as he went to the upper level of the workshop bay to work on the Tempests.

* * *

Amy walked across the side of the island, the clouds below and around the island creating a cool breeze which passed through Amy's fur and tickled her. The pink hedgehog's emerald eyes were full of conflicting emotions, from contentment to confusion and sadness. She dragged her hammer across the ground slowly as she contemplated the events happening around them. The final battle would be in three days, and would change their lives forever no matter what happened. That fact rang through her head as she continued to walk away from the workshop and get some space.

"I can't believe it...Sonic's destiny and Gemini's memories...it's all coming so fast," Amy marveled before tossing her hammer over the edge of the island and letting it fall to the earth below.

Then the pink hedgehog looked forward, finding Luxi sitting in the grass and overlooking the edge of the island at the world stretching out below them. Tears flowed down the dog's face as she desperately tried to wipe them away to little avail. Amy looked at her and understood exactly what it was about but chose not to leave her alone, seeing that she needed a friend. The dog looked at Amy as she sat down in the grass next to her, having a small smile on her face as he took in the view of the sea below.

"The meeting's over?" Luxi asked.

"You should have been there. It's pretty important for all of us actually, even before all of the other heroes get here. This place will be packed," Amy said.

"I was there, I just left after Tails explained what the basic idea was. I just couldn't stand being in that room again without him there," Luxi explained sadly.

"I know how hard all of this must be for you. Losing people close to you is never something easy to let go," Amy said. "It's caused most of the problems in Gemini's life, and it could've done the same to me."

"It's just...we were so close," Luxi shared. "He told me so much about his life and how he wanted to start over again, doing the right thing. We used to share all sorts of different candies, and train together. He was the first person I really got to know since I stopped traveling around the world, and suddenly he's gone. We were going to travel together after all of this ended. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"I could kind of sense that he wanted to work to be a better person, too," Amy nodded.

"The world just doesn't feel right without him, and I couldn't bear it if I had to lose anyone else. And with Ragnarok's plan and our final attack all coming together, it's bound to happen," Luxi realized. "I couldn't bear that."

"Pain is something that comes with people close to us dying, and I won't tell you it will all be okay, because people lie. No one ever really recovers from a death, especially from someone so close to them," Amy admitted. "But this will teach you so much, and it will only make you stronger. Now you can keep going in his memory, and I bet you still pushing ahead would make him happy."

"You're right, I suppose," Luxi said, sniffling. "I'll be okay eventually, I guess."

"Hey Ames!" Sonic shouted, skidding to a halt to the side of the two females. Amy finally got to her feet and faced him, before suddenly embracing him and allowing herself to try and understand the conflicting feelings within herself. "I missed you a lot, too."

"Sonic, I just can't take it," she cried as he held her in his arms. "You've been gone, training and hunting for so long. I barely get to see you anymore."

"Well, that's what the next two days are for, right?" Sonic offered.

"That's not all. I'm scared for you. You have to face the strongest force in the world and destroy it, by yourself. You could fail, but you could also die, either way. And I just couldn't afford to lose you," Amy said, tears falling from her face. "Mighty, Ray, and Tain already had to die. How many more will have to die too?"

"You're right. I could die. Nebula could annihilate me, even if I somehow manage to stop him," Sonic admitted. "But I won't die, because I have you and everyone else to live for. And that will keep me moving forward."

"Really?" Amy questioned, looking at him.

"Yeah," Sonic said. "I won't step into Nebula's stronghold without you by my side. Because you make me stronger within."

"Thank you. That's so sweet!" Amy squealed as the two shared a passionate kiss. And then Sonic hoisted her into his grasp bridal style and shot off across the island. Until the final conflict, he wasn't letting anything stand between him and his happiness.

Maybe that would help to prove Nebula wrong, too.

* * *

"I don't get it Blaze, I just don't get it," Silver sighed as they sat on the edge of a smooth rock that overlooked a cliff and then a large meadow that cut through the east side of the island. "Why is it not me again?"

"What do you mean?" the fiery cat asked, playing with a ball of flames in her hand.

"Sonic always ends up saving the day. Every time I ended up in the past, he would be there and when we would save the world, he would be the one who gets the glory. In the future, we're known as the people who helped the world's greatest hero. It's just not fair," Silver complained. "When am I going to have my chance to shine?"

"You'll have your chance to shine soon enough. You're a great hero," Blaze encouraged.

"I know, but what's going to happen is we're going to have to help beat this army, and then Sonic's going to beat Nebula because hes the last Chosen and end up with most of the credit, as usual," Silver predicted. "You know I'm right."

"I won't deny what you're saying, but I hope you realize that it's a little bit more complicated than that," Blaze said. "With power comes responsibility, and Sonic has a lot of his plate. If he fails, or if anything goes wrong, this entire world will face annihilation. And that will mean the death of the Sol dimension, and your future. He could die, and billions of lives are in his hands. That's some serious pressure for one person to deal with."

"I guess it's a little bit harder than I thought," Silver replied. "I guess I am being a bit naive."

"Don't worry. It just shows you care. If Sonic succeeds, then maybe you'll get a chance one day, too," Blaze stated. Then there was a long pause as the two looked at the clouds above, taking in the nature around them.

"Blaze..." Silver began, causing the cat to look at him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I know this is crazy...but I think when this is all over, I want to stay here," Silver said. "The people and the world...just seem more pure and less artificial. I feel more at home here. Marine said so too."

"You know...this might be unusually crazy...but I feel that way, too," Blaze said, smiling.

And then the two took in the wonder of what would be their new home.

* * *

Knuckles was at the shrine of the Master Emerald, which was at the edge of the massive floating island. Many thoughts ran through his mind as he continued his training, unleashing powerful punches on the three dummy holograms Tails placed out there for him. As the three robotic holograms flew back from a series of punches Knuckles leaped into the air and slammed the ground with his Quake Punch, causing the earth to ripple and knock of them off the island.

And as he pulled his fist from the ground while panting slightly, the holograms reformed at their spots on the ground. The echidna hit a switch on the side of the shrine, turning the holograms off before he sat down. But as he did he found Rouge sitting next to him, causing him to jump slightly. The bat simply giggled and looked at the glow of the "Master Emerald", finding it mesmerizing to her jewel obsessed mind.

"Thanks for scaring me," Knuckles said sarcastically. "And by the way, that's not the real emerald. I'm keeping it on me to power us up, and Tails made a replica to trick the shrine into keeping the island afloat. It's like a magic machine."

"Well, that killed its appeal," Rouge remarked. "So, what's up with you? Still guarding this shrine?"

"I was training for the battle. You should be, too," Knuckles suggested.

"There's other stuff on my mind. Shadow would be one of the strongest people for us and instead he's somewhere out there, without GUN and on his own," Rouge said sadly. "I just can't do much while thinking about him. I'll be prepared, it'll just be hard, that's all."

"I don't know much about Shadow. We fought once or twice together during the Black Arms invasion, and that was about it," Knuckles shared. "But I've always know him as someone who could be self-reliant. He may be lost as to who he is right now, but he can take care of himself."

"I guess you're right," Rouge sighed. "I just thought that he needed his friends at that time, but then he just got up and abandoned us all."

"Maybe that's how he needs to cope," Knuckles said. "Sometimes doing things on your own works for certain people. I cant say that's what it is or that I agree with that, but I'm sure he'll return soon enough. He cares too much about you, Omega, and Sonic to abandon you forever, even he doesn't act like it most of the time."

"He always was a stubborn one," Rouge chuckled. "You know, you're not such a knucklehead after all. When you're not worrying about your ancestors or that big green rock, I could consider you a good friend."

"Nice to know," Knuckles said, smiling as he got up and turned on the holograms again. "Wanna train?"

"Sounds good to me," Rouge accepted, and then the two leaped into combat.

* * *

"I remember Alice. I remember everything," Gemini said as he sat on the top of the workshop, looking down on the ocean and the landscape to the left of it. "Everything makes sense now. Why that butterfly haunts me. Why Aersus hates me. And why I hate Nightmare so much."

"Do you want to talk about it?"Alice asked. "Either way, it's fine."

"No, I have to. I feel as if the answers are inside me, and I'm ready to burst," Gemini told her. "Now that I know everything."

"I'm all ears," Alice said as she sat next to him.

"It all started after my father died," Gemini stated. "My mother had already died giving birth to Amy, as she came down with an illness that didn't give her enough strength to survive. Even after that, our family still managed to move on, with my father being the owner of a prestigious chain of casinos. Things were unusual, but still peaceful for the Rose family."

"Everyone knows all of this part," Alice commented.

"Then you know what happened next," Gemini said. "My father was also a hero, fighting the forces of the GUN Civil War five years over the Ark Incident fifty years ago and the Apotos Invasion twenty years ago. And then one day he was assassinated by GUN as revenge after the heroes. Everything changed. Our world was torn apart."

"So after raising Amy with the help of your father's allies, you decided you couldn't take it anymore. So you sent Amy to Sonic to protect her, used the money from the successful buying of half the world's casino enterprises to support her, while Sonic didn't even know who you or Amy was," Alice finished.

"Exactly," Gemini said. "And then, as I was in my final hour, unsure of what to do with the remains of my life, they approached me. Nebula told me of his vision, and his past, and how he could make things right. And seeing as I had nothing else, I left everything to you and the rest of the girls and went with Nebula as a Ragnarok agent. Desperation convinces you to do crazy things."

"So, if you were a Ragnarok agent, what led you to fleeing from them across the world?" Alice wondered.

"What caused that was her. Virgo. The same butterfly that haunts me. She was my friend along with Aersus, and the three of us grew closer and closer. I was running away from my former life, Virgo was an orphan who had only had herself for most of her life, and Aersus was a part of an assassination organization before deciding to go on the run from them and GUN. All we had Ragnarok's goal and each other," Gemini explained.

"And what of Frost?" Alice asked.

"Frost was friends with us too. Not as close to us as he was to Leo, but he was a good friend in the same situation that we were," Gemini said. "We fought many defenders of the world, including the Babylon Rogues who are here once."

"That must have been been awkward," Alice joked.

"It was, but I think they trusted Sonic enough that they knew something must have changed about me," Gemini replied. "Except for that swallow. She held that wrench real tight. But besides the point, we did our missions, but sometimes Virgo was pulled away to do missions with Master Nebula. We didn't know exactly what he had her doing, but it was clear she had special powers that were an asset to Nebula's plan."

"Then what would happen to her?" Alice wondered. "If she's that important, Nebula wouldn't let her die."

"He wouldn't, until he realized the truth through his divine wisdom that Virgo was an attempt by the Enigmatic One to create the first of a new set of Chosen," Gemini continued sadly. "So he used her as much as he could to gather natural chaos energy, and when Chaos and Argus began reaching out to her, he knew she was more trouble than she was worth."

"Did he kill her then?" Alice asked.

"No. He had Nightmare use his mysterious ability to make us see Virgo as Nightmare taunting me and Aersus about something he did to Virgo, since she had been gone for two whole weeks in our eyes. So me and Aersus attacked 'him' in a rage, and we ended up killing her," Gemini explained slowly, tears from his face. "I've haven't been the same since. I can still feel her blood on my arms, and her ghost still follows me. I thought the world had dealt me another blow, and for a moment I thought that it needed to be destroyed to have this done to me."

"But you didn't, because you're here," Alice objected.

"But I almost wasn't. Then Virgo came to me in a dream. I thought that it wasn't real, that I was imagining her, but it felt too real. She told me that I had to honor her death by taking revenge against Ragnarok, by stopping them from the destroying the world her powers bonded her so closely to," Gemini said, tears still pouring down his face. "I told Aersus that I was leaving, that I was going to Amy, and that he must have had the dream too."

"Did he?"

"He did...but unlike me, where I had people to go to when I left, he believed the only things he had left were me and Ragnarok, and he believed that Ragnarok was the thing that gave him a reason to live, even if it caused him such pain. He tried to tell me to stay, to not leave him alone and help make the world better so people like Virgo didn't have to die like that. And then I defeated him, and ran to you and Amy. And that's it. That's my story within Ragnarok."

"Gemini, that's terrible," Alice said, embracing him. "I can't imagine going through the things you have."

"I couldn't imagine either until a day ago," Gemini responded. "But it doesn't matter. It was terrible, but it gave me new drive to recall it. Nebula hasn't seen the last of me, and neither has Ragnarok. Virgo will not be forgotten."

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

Aersus stood on a circular black platform as it somehow ascended a massive cylinder like shaft outlined with blue circles at certain points. His white cloak fluttered as the air rushed by him, and his amber eyes were full of conflict, but an eerie sense of peace. The ghost of Virgo hovered above him, but it seemed far more transparent and faded than before, almost as if Aersus was coming near closure. Dried up tears fell from his face as he recalled many memories in contemplation. His fur swayed from the ascension, which began to slow down slightly.

"_You saw what they did to her, Aersus!" Gemini yelled angrily. "And yet you still stand by them! You know its wrong! You have no right to talk about the terms of justice with ME!"_

"This is all I have left..." Aersus muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"_The next time we meet, I may have to kill you," Gemini said before continuing to walk through the sickly trees around him. "It didn't have to be this way Aersus, and you know it."_

"I'm not sure where it all went wrong..."

"_Can you tell me why I betrayed you?" Gemini wondered._

"This curse of suffering...will end today..."

"_We don't have to fight like this!" Gemini stated. "I just want to know the truth!"_

"I don't think I ever...really knew the truth. I never faced it in the eye...and accepted it..."

"_I wish time never kept moving," Aersus sighed peacefully. "This moment is perfect."_

"_As long as we have each other, every moment can be a bit better," Gemini said, "right?"_

"Things were better. And I'll make them that way again."

"_If you wanted to know why I won't really fight you, it's because Virgo told me to take care of you," Gemini stated. "I think she's forgiven both of us for her death."_

"_You're still so assuming, Gemini," Aersus retorted, getting to his feet as the fully cured Gemini stared at him in either sadness or pity. "I have no place in the world. Ragnarok is all that I have left."_

"_And who decided that? You?" Gemini scoffed. "Just because the world isn't the place doesn't mean Ragnarok is the place for you, either. You have to make your own way, Aersus. That's what she would have wanted, and we know it."_

"It is was she would have wanted, and I think I wanted it all along," Aersus admitted, suddenly pulling both of his massive golden blades out of their white sheaths on his back.

As the platform's ascension slowed to a halt, Aersus walked across one of the eight bridges to a long corridor, and gripped his swords tightly. He stopped, took in a deep breath, and looked back to find that Virgo's apparition was no longer following him, as if Aersus' mysterious decision had caused it to disappear. He then breathed and walked through the long, dimly lit black corridor towards his own absolution.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And we are left at the beginning of this two parter with many revelations and personal conflicts between our characters and Aersus' mysterious decision. What is the jackal planning? Where did Shadow disappear too? Will Sonic be ready for the final battle? Hang tight for next chapter, which will gives us more revelations and conclusions before our grand final battle, and one person will make a decision that will impact many. Please everyone, catch up with reviews before chapter 48 is done, because things get quick and intense after that and I wouldn't want anyone to get left behind. So hang tight and review!

Also, this is my longest chapter ever. Score.


	48. The Struggles Within Part Two

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 48: The Struggles Within Part Two

**Location: Angel Island**

"Look at it all," Sonic marveled, looking over the top of a large cliff to the world beautiful world below as Knuckles walked up behind him. "This world...I can't believe Nebula would want to destroy it all. Destroy the nature, the constructs, the life, and the people."

"Me neither," Knuckles agreed. "The world isn't perfect, but that's what makes its god sides even more beautiful. Maybe he's lived so far past his time that he doesn't realize that anymore. It's kind of sad."

"Well, there's no excuse. He caused so much destruction and death to get what he wanted, but it won't continue any longer. Somehow, I'm going to stop him," Sonic promised, balling his fists up.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Knuckles asked. "He's been around for more than 4,000 years, killed Chaos easily, and you only managed to beat one of his forms by yourself. And I bet there's a lot more where they came from."

"I don't know, really," Sonic stated. "Even Mach didn't have a clue. If Chaos could be killed, so could Nebula, that much I know. I just don't know how to."

"The past Mach didn't. The present Mach might. Ever considered that maybe you and him have a spiritual connection, explaining why you look like twins?" Knuckles suggested.

"Is that even possible?" Sonic asked.

"Sure," Knuckles nodded, pulling out the shrunken Master Emerald. "The Master Emerald has been said to perform miracles all by itself. If you harness it's energies, maybe you'll be able to go deep within your mind again."

"Well, it's worth a shot," Sonic decided, sitting down in a meditative pose.

The Master Emerald's glow become mesmerizing as Sonic stared at its flowing energies. He closed his eyes and breathed in and out with the flow of the energies within the Master Emerald's, which were very much like heartbeats chasing each other to sustain life. And then suddenly, as If the Master Emerald had accepted his temporary connection he felt himself falling through a dark abyss, falling into the depths of his mind where he could find the present Mach lying within.

_Sonic landed on the soft grass of his subconscious mind, with green pastures rolling out ahead of him and a bold, unnaturally blue sky above him. Hills, valleys, and rocky structures made up the rest of his mind, with a few trees made of blue trunks scattered about. As Sonic picked up speed and raced through his mind, he realized that the valley was never ending, or at least too far for him to cross. So he skidded to a halt, and then saw something unusual._

"_Whoa..."_

_In the distance was a large tree. It was like the others, but stretched far into the sky and had a massive blue aura that seemed to dim everything out around it. The imposing tree spiraled up into the sky as azure pulses came out from it, washing over the area and giving Sonic an eerie sense of calm. But he knew he had a job to do and so he winded up before launching over a cliff, vaulting through the air with impressive momentum. He then spun into a ball to control his landing, rolling over multiple hills before he finally came to a stop at the base of the massive azure tree._

"_This place has to mean something," Sonic stated. "There's nothing like this is any other part of my mind."_

"_It seems that you have finally found me," Xavnu "Mach" the Hedgehog stated, emerging from behind the tree. "I can already guess, you still need my help to defeat Nebula."_

"_What? How did you know?" Sonic questioned._

"_You're more predictable than you realize, kid," Mach laughed. "I knew that when I died Nebula would eventually free himself from the Sacred Seal one day because of what you said when we met in my time. So I simply placed my spirit within you, so you can finish what was started in my time."_

"_That explains a lot, especially why we look alike. But dude, I hate all of these time paradoxes! Because if I didn't come back in time to search for you, you wouldn't know anything about me. But the reason I look like you and am the Last Chosen is because you chose me after meeting me, but that's what caused me to find you...ugh, my head hurts," Sonic moaned._

"_Time is a confusing force that governs our lives," Mach said. "I really want to have nothing to do with it, but I don't have a choice now."_

"_True, but I really need to know how to defeat Nebula. The Spring Equinox is tomorrow, and no matter how strong I get, I still don't know how to kill a god like him," Sonic requested._

"_Good point," Mach agreed. "I can't say I'm sure how to do it myself. It took everything within me to seal him away. But if you do that again, it will mean nothing because he will know how to escape again."_

"_Exactly!" Sonic confirmed._

"_Well, from what I've seen of Nebula's new abilities involving the forms of others, they're powerful, and his conscious is spread among them...but a technique like that wouldn't work unless there was a central conduit, a heart to the network," Mach realized._

"_So I just have to find the center of his technique and destroy it, and the rest of his forms will die off too!" Sonic said. "But what would happen if that didn't work?"_

"_Well...then you would just have a bunch of other forms with Nebula's conscious that would theoretically all have to be killed off before Nebula's essence was pushed into other forms," Mach said sadly, "Also, I really hope that these new abilities cancel out Nebula's old ones, for your sake. Dealing with both would be a headache."_

"_That's reassuring," Sonic remarked sarcastically, "but why else do you say that?"_

"_Because Nebula was by far the great chaos energy user in history. His attacks literally ripped holes in space and time, and even without the Chaos Emeralds or the Master Emeralds he could use both simultaneously to manipulate reality to an extent," Mach said. "Now, if he could do that now plus use the abilities of others simultaneously, I could only say good luck."_

"_Thanks for the confidence boost, too," Sonic retorted. "But at least now I have a faint idea of how to defeat that guy."_

"_No problem. I may help you if I get the chance. But just because you tamed your Dusk form does not mean the fight within is over. I passed some of my traits over to you, but getting that Dusk form was no mistake, and I didn't do it. I'll be hear trying to figure out what happened, but watch out," Xavnu advised._

"_Thanks for the heads up, dude," Sonic said, before he suddenly ascended through the air, up through the abyss, and up into the real world._

"So, how did it go?" Knuckles asked as Sonic snapped up to his feet in shock.

"Decent, compared to last time," Sonic chuckled. "So basically, on the same day where the entire world will depend on me to eliminate the greatest threat we have ever faced, I will also have to track some sort of center to Nebula's unique power, and take it out in order to truly save the world from his madness. It's fun, I know. It'll put a dent in our plans, that's for sure."

"Well, more heroes are arriving by the minute," Knuckles responded. "There are at least 500 now, and there will be a lot more before we launch the plan tomorrow, or more like tonight actually. But there are enough to make this work. Sometimes, you have to just take a leap of faith."

"Whatever, Sir Cheesy," Sonic grinned. "Anyhow, I have something to tell you bro."

"Anything more changing than that?" Knuckles laughed.

"Yeah, actually. After this, after Ragnarok is defeated, and Cyrus and Metal are chased to the ends of the earth so they aren't problems anymore, I'm done," Sonic declared with a much more serious tone. "I've had to do this for so long, Knuckles. From robotic armies, to alien invaders, to planet controlling gods, and interstellar amusement parks. I just want to life live, travel the great world, enjoy my time with my friends, and enjoy Amy. I've done my share. I'm out forever after this."

"It's not the worst idea you've ever had. It's not like there will be much to fight against after that anyway," Knuckles admitted, putting away the Master Emerald.

"Aw shucks!" Sonic joked.

"You're too much," Knuckles retorted playfully.

"What are you gonna do, anyway?" Sonic questioned.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I might travel too. Not with you and Amy. I don't want to be a third wheel. But as long as the Master Emerald's with me and Tails' fake emerald to trick the island into staying afloat works, then there's no reason to stay put for the rest of my life when there are so many other discoveries," Knuckles answered.

"Can't argue with that," Sonic shrugged. "It's getting late out. We should go back before Tails decides that we should launch."

"You've changed just a bit Sonic, just a bit," Knuckles admitted. "Who would think you would show up early to the party?"

"Shut up," Sonic teased, "Chaos Control!"

And in a flash of azure the two were gone from the meadow.

* * *

**Location: Unknown**

"Aersus? What are you doing?" Frost asked, staring at his determined expression and his unsheathed swords as he walked past.

"Doing what I should have done the moment I killed Virgo," Aersus replied, walking past Frost. The room was full of spiraling white spires, with black lines running across. Below the room was nothing but an abyss with the surface below it being too far down to see beyond the light, with the pathways being on two different sides of the room. "Don't get in my way. I value you as a comrade, but that will surely end."

"You know I can't let you do anything drastic," Frost said, turning to face him. "Think this through. Don't throw it all away."

"I've already lost everything," Aersus told him as he continued to walk towards the other end of the room. "And when I'm done here, I'm going to go back to Gemini and find a way to destroy this place. You should leave too, before it gets bad."

"Don't make me hurt you. Please stop," Frost pleaded. "You're my friend, but you know the Spring Equinox is in a few hours and I can't let you ruin all of our work."

But as Aersus continued to walk away with his swords at his side, determined to finish his job, the cat suddenly launched forward and aimed his finger forward, the small cyan speck at the tip of it unleashing a powerful attack of cyan light that seemed to even freeze the air. The Sub-Zero Blast continued firing for about another minute before Frost finally stopped, staring into the cloud of dust for any signs of movement. Ice covered every surface in front of the icy blue cat, who seemed solemn at the decision his friend made.

But Aersus stood mostly unharmed at the end of the ice, his blades embedded within it. The jackal unleashed a show of power with his Pressure Force, blowing the ice around his swords so he could pull them out, glaring at Frost. The feline leaped up to the top of one of the spires, staring down at his enemy who tensed up before rebounding off of the side of one spire to launch up at his opponent. The cat leaped to the side of another spire as Aersus used a Pressure Force, cutting through the spire as it crashed to the ground.

Frost kicked off the spire at Aersus, ice surrounding his arm and forming claws as he punched Aersus. The impact swung Aersus around but he used he momentum to swing around with one of his blades and push Frost back through another spire. The cat grunted as he flipped to his feet, only for Aersus to fire another Pressure Force at him. Frost saw the attack coming, but instead of dodging he held out his ice covered hand towards the attack.

"You know of my trademark ability, Aersus. You're going to have to do better than that," Frost stated.

The cat used his Ice Reflector to grasp the attack, white streams of energy launching out from the impact as the attack pushed against Frost. But then the cat fully grasped the attack before tossing his hand out, deflecting the attack to the side. Two spires crashed to the ground, kicking up smoke as Aersus leaped back, looking around for his opponent. Frost suddenly swiped out with his ice covered claw, which Aersus blocked forcing the cat to dodge.

The icy blue furred anthro leaped back into the dust, firing his Ice Spikes from within. Aersus blocked effortlessly with his blades, but the spikes expanded and froze to the surface of the blades, causing them to fall as they became too heavy. The haze faded just as Frost emerged from it, kicking Aersus across the face with incredible force and tossing him through the air. The jackal fell to the ground with a thud as Frost leaped through the air towards him, instantly firing off a Sub-Zero Blast. The jackal rolled to the side quickly before flipping away from the tall ice spire that formed, only to lose his weapons.

"Come on, you can't fight me without your blades. Please, stop," Frost requested.

"You're right, we don't have to fight. Just let me do what I have to do," Aersus replied.

"You know I can't do that! Why are you forcing me to do this?" Frost demanded.

"Because they made me kill Virgo! They made Gemini leave! They ruined my life, and now I'm going to set things right," Aersus promised.

But as he got to his feet Frost suddenly fired a Sub-Zero Blast in front of him as he ran, causing him to skate across pathways of ice as he created them in front of him. The jackal tossed Pressure Bombs from his hands, but the cat simply skated around the impacts before he leaped off and attempted to punch Aersus across the face. But instead the jackal hopped to the side, grabbing Frost's wrist and tossing him through the air. As the cat scrambled back up to his feet the jackal had ripped both of his swords from the ice, holding them menacingly in front of his opponent.

"I'm not gonna stop. This is all I have left. Gemini is gone, Virgo is dead, and Ragnarok has done nothing but destroy the little I thought I had," Aersus vowed. "Get out of my way, and I'll let you live."

"You were always the most determined one out of us," Frost sighed, summoning a cold aura around his hands. "Ice Spikes!"

The cat tossed the sharp icy projectiles through the air which Aersus rolled to the right to dodge. As Frost charged up another Sub-Zero Blast the jackal shot a Pressure Force through the ground to launch him up into the air over the blast. As the cold energy froze almost everything below him the jackal spun around in the air rapidly, creating a Pull Vortex. The force lifted Frost off of the ground before he pulled out of his attack and smashed Frost in the chest with a Pressure Force, knocking him through multiple spires and then across the floor of the room.

Frost leaped to his feet, a cold look in his eye as he unleashed a Sub-Zero Blast, skating across the floor and the waves of ice he created while using his other hand to fire a Sub-Zero Blast at Aersus. The light blue jackal flipped over Frost as he passed under him before ducking under his attack and jumping on top of a spire. As the world around him turned to ice Aersus leaped across the spire, unleashing Pressure Forces as an attempt to keep Frost at bay.

_I won't last much longer than this if I don't use that attack. The only other person who has seen it is Virgo, and he won't see it coming,_ Aersus thought to himself. _I'm going to use the Kinetic Collapse._

And then Aersus chose to end it. The jackal decisively fired off one last Pressure Force, knocking Frost off of his sliding ice and into the side of a spire. As he fell, he looked back up to find Aersus holding out both of his swords at him, two shifting ivory spheres the size of his body forming at the ends of them. As Frost got up, he found Aersus pointing the balls down at him, energy brimming around the room as his attack was finally prepared. And without saying another word to his former friend he unleashed the attack.

The massive concussive force from the Kinetic Collapse seemed to overtake everything. The fragmented white lines outlined the force as it hit instantaneously, destroying the entire room and a massive segment of the stronghold instantly on one side and blowing a hole in the side of the room the length of five stories, causing high frequencies of the air to rush in, showing that wherever they were, it was at a huge height, though the smoke covered the rest. As the force finally faded, leaving behind nothing but destruction, Aersus knew that Frost was dead when he couldn't find his body-his attack obliterated everything it touched.

"You were a good friend until the end, Frost. Maybe this wouldn't have happened under other circumstances," Aersus mourned quickly before he gathered himself and held his swords out as he walked through a door to a long, dark spiraling staircase.

His job wasn't over.

* * *

The jackal emerged at the top of the seemingly staircase, finding himself within the throne chamber. Light flooded through the filtered windows at the top of the room, revealing a sky full of brimming stars. The jackal walked across the room slowly, white pillars lined at the sides of the room as Nebula sat on the throne in his winged form. The god continued to stare out into the distance as Aersus stopped before his throne, but then gave him a glance as he realized the jackal was not bowing before his throne.

"There is something disturbing you, I assume," Wing Nebula said.

"Correct, but it won't be disturbing me any longer," Aersus vowed as his swords caught the glow of the light. "I'm taking revenge for Virgo and setting things right. I know where the center of your power is. I'm going to destroy it, and then take the Chaos Emeralds and Chaos Cores to Gemini and the heroes to end your World's Key Plan before it even starts."

"A worthy effort, I suppose. But I did say there would be sacrifice, and it would have helped you and Gemini to detach from the emotions of this world by killing one of your own. You would be too innocent for our war," Nebula mused.

"You mean your war. This is just some petty revenge in the end," Aersus determined.

"I don't have to justify Ragnarok's goals for you. I thought they would be clear in our final hours," Nebula replied. "What makes you think you can even do such a feat, all alone?"

"Because I finally have reached my true potential," Aersus answered. "Frost is already gone, and the rest of you are next, starting with the leader himself."

"Well, we know we can't ave you doing anything like that," Nebula disapproved. "Go ahead, Nightmare."

And before Aersus could even move the barrel of the gun was pressed against his back. He looked back into the mesmerizing vermilion swirling within an abyss of black that were Nightmare's eyes, before he pulled the trigger. A powerful fuchsia light filled the room as the shot rang through the air, and Aersus' eyes went wide with shock and pain. A massive hole was vaporized in the jackal's chest, leaving nothing behind. The jackal fell to the ground in a heap of blood as his swords fell out of his grasp, along with the last fragments of his life.

Even as his world faded and fell apart around him, all the jackal could think about was the memories, the beautiful ones of him, Gemini, and Virgo, sitting on the rooftops and watching the sky even as their lives changed forever. And so Aersus the Jackal died with a smile on his face, remembering the good and forgetting all the rest.

* * *

**Location: Angel Island**

"Aersus is dead," was all Gemini could say, rooted to the spot as Jet, Sonic, Amy, and Tails turned to look at him as they all prepared themselves at the edge of the island.

"The jackal guy who almost killed me?" Jet asked rudely, to which the maroon hedgehog nodded.

"How do you know?" Sonic asked. "How did he die anyway?"

"He died at Nightmare's hands after killing Frost and trying to kill Nebula," Gemini informed. "And I seriously have no idea how I know these things."

"It's nice to see that he at least got somewhat of a happy ending though. He finally changed for the better," Amy said.

"We're ready to go in fifteen minutes, guys," Tails reminded before rushing off to the Tempests and Aeolus.

"Now we're gonna get our chance to make our own happy ending to this," Sonic told them. "Let's save this world to give it the final peace it needs."

And then the heroes ran off after Tails, taking the final steps to pull destiny into their own hands.

* * *

**Location: South Ocean**

Lance piloted the aircraft as it flew over the rough waters, the light clouds having just been broken up after a heavy rain. The completed Diablon was easy for the wolf to steal, as he had stolen much more before. The completed version had a unique mode which resembled a plane, along with having a cockpit for the former Cyber Liberator and his still unconscious passenger. Cyrus Tech the Fox laid in the back, breathing slowly and with no other signs of movement like he had done for almost three weeks. The wolf knew his master would eventually wake up, but it felt he never would.

"Work with me back there, buddy...we both need each other here," Lance hoped, sighing deeply.

And with all the enemies Lance had made all over the world, it would be hard to him to escape them unless he had a genius like Cyrus on his side to conceal his identity once again now that his New World Order was doomed. As they flew closer and closer to the Ragnarok stronghold over the waters the layers of clouds slowly began to thin, and the wolf assumed it would not be too much longer now, and with the Diablon's almost impenetrable energy shields, they would be okay. The wolf let the autopilot take over as he lit a cigarette, trying to relax himself before the world went to hell.

"Lance..."

The words seemed to cut through the silence, causing Lance to quickly turn his head around. The fox began to stir as his tails moved and his mouth trembled slightly, awakening from his deep slumber as he tried to adjust to the world around him again.

"Someone took their time, didn't they?" Lance chuckled. "You're adjusting faster than you said you would."

"Where are we going? What day is it?" Cyrus asked.

"Well, it's five minutes to the midnight of the Chaos Spring Equinox, March 20th exactly," Lance reported. "And we're on our way to the Ragnarok stronghold, just like you said."

"Good work," Cyrus nodded as his eyes snapped open, revealing the icy cold blue layers within that hinted at his destructive, psychopathic mind. "We have some errands to run there."

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so that is the end of the Emerald-God War Arc! What will happen during the great battles ahead for the world's fate? What will Aersus's death cause? What does Nebula really want with his World's Key Plan? And what does Cyrus and Lance plan to do in the midst of all of this? Hang tight for the next update, which will start the second to last arc and begin the conclusions of this story. I can't actually believe I'm at this point!

So to help me get over my shock, please review everyone. When those final battles start, I don't want any of my great reviewers and readers to get left behind! Hang tight for next chapter, entitled Ragnarok's Ivory!


	49. Ragnarok's Ivory

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 49: Ragnarok's Ivory

**Location: Ivory City**

**World's Key Plan: 7 hours, 10 minutes**

The shifting clouds of the night sky parted as the five massive Tempest airships flew through them, with the Aeolus in the lead. The air was violent, but Sonic could still feel the rising chaos energies within them. It was as if Chaos Drives were floating in the air all over the world, pulsating with their energies as they called out to those who could use them. Tension filled the minds of the hundreds of heroes who were perched on the many wings of the Tempests and the roofs, as well as those inside waiting to be deployed.

But the one who had the power to change everything sat at the back of the Aeolus' roof in the lead. Sonic looked through clouds ahead, finding only glimpses o the rough waves below. The sky had an eerie fuchsia tint, probably from the great chaos energies building along the atmosphere. The stars seemed unusually bright, and the energies tingling Sonic's fur ever so slightly did not help. An uneasiness fell over him and the others as they moved closer towards Ragnarok's stronghold, knowing they were less than fifteen minutes away.

The blue hedgehog had changed his attire that day in order to be more noticeable to those on his side in the field. A navy cape wrapped itself around Sonic's neck, flapping out in the wind with the crest of the Master Emerald on it. His gloves had lines of green on them, along with his running shoes being lime where there used to be rose. White bandages wrapped themselves along his forearms, and Chip's bracelet glowed dimly on his arm from the green orb and coursing down through the stone runes along its gray structure.

Sonic looked within its depths before he stared back out ahead, thinking of everything he could lose. Amy, his friends, the world he ran on, his life, and the lives of everyone else on the planet. He would be damned in Nebula would even think of taking it all away from him. The last two days showed him that even if life isn't pure, and it's hard, those connections and experiences are precious, and no one person had the right to destroy it all, to act as if those experience meant nothing in the face of some "perfect existence".

He would put an end to it that day.

"Okay everyone, here's the plan. Stick to it if you want to leave this place alive," Tails advised over the speakers. "GUN will arrive with their greatest task forces and attack five minutes before we do, so we can get on the island alive. Once there, we will diverge to cover the most ground, and deploy the heroes within before the rest of you guys use the Tempests and the Tornadoes docked under the Tempests to attack.

"What about pilots?" Charmy asked from within the Aeolus.

"I need Luxi, Omega, Jet, Wave, and Storm to continue piloting the Tempests, and the next best pilots can use the Tornadoes. The Aeolus will be piloted by you Charmy instead of me once we arrive, which will take the two main teams into the heart of the stronghold," Tails answered. "Once that happens, Sonic with our Chaos Emeralds and Chaos Cores, Amy, Knuckles with the Master Emerald, Alice, and Gemini will go after Nebula, while myself, Cream, Espio, Vector, and Rouge will go after the rest of the gems and go to Sonic's team with them. Everyone else just needs to fight off Ragnarok in any way they can so we can have a fighting chance."

"Got it, Tails," Sonic smirked. "You sure got this together. Don't worry, leave it to me and I'll kick Nebula's butt before his plan even starts. They don't stand a chance."

"I hope you're right," Knuckles said from within the Aeolus, "cause I think we're about there."

Sonic caught the first glimpse of the city as the clouds thinned and the island came into view, and it was nothing but miraculous. Tall rocky ranges almost like mountains that were lush with plants formed a barrier around the island, decreasing in size as they moved towards the center. Among the rocky ranges were large sleek skyscrapers of ivory which rose far above the island, and ivory pathways covered the distance between them, along with glorious plazas with large fountains.

People walked around in the streets, while Ragnarok Beasts guarded every corner. And as these buildings increased in frequency and grew larger as they moved inwards, they all began to center in on a massive building in the middle of it all. The mysterious and abstract tower of white stretched up into the sky, even up to the horizon of clouds. About three quarters of the way up to the top, smaller but still massive towers of black outlined in white sprouted from the sides of the tower all the way to the top, making it appear as if a robotic hand was grasping at the moon in the fuchsia tinted sky.

"I have to say, it looks more like a beautiful future instead of the base of evil," Knuckles shared. "Hell, those people look alright."

"Don't be fooled," Gemini told him. "Nebula used this isolated city as a test for his 'perfect world' theory. These people are kind of like the way I was before Virgo died, blissfully ignoring what they're doing to the rest of the world."

"Well, it looks like GUN is finally here. I thought they would never show," Vector huffed.

His words ran true as the side they were not approaching from fell into chaos. Ragnarok Beasts filled the air as GUN Walkers dropped into the streets and GUN Helicopters deployed squads of specialized GUN agents wielding Assault Rifles and light armor. Bursts of energy and flames suddenly clashed against each other as smoke rose from that side of the city-the battle was on. Only seconds had passed, and the sounds of chaos filled the air, even high in the sky as the heroes' ships began to descend and approach the island. One helicopter landed silently in the mountains far away from the others, but the blue hedgehog paid no attention to it.

Sonic looked at the Ivory Tower and instantly knew Nebula would be there-it easily loomed over even the tallest skyscrapers in the city from the massive plaza it stood within. Pure white orbs of light floated at the top of each street, illuminating the city's buildings even in the darkness of the night. It would be only about a minute before they crossed the barrier of mountains. Then, there would be no turning back, and Sonic was all too aware of that. It was if the chaos energies in the air could sense the great events that would take place there that day, and was attempting to to warn the last Chosen of that fact.

"Sonic..." Rouge said as she climbed onto the roof of the Aeolus, grabbing onto the top wing as Sonic did so as not to fall off as the Aeolus descended through the winds. "You can't tell Tails, but I'm not staying."

"Why? I don't want you running off on your own and getting blown to kingdom come. This isn't Eggman," Sonic responded.

"If you tried, you can feel him too," Rouge said. "My tracker detects Shadow somewhere in that city. I can't ignore that. You guys will be fine without me. I'm a GUN spy, so I think I can handle myself even in this."

"I don't know. Shadow's my friend, but we have a world to save," Sonic doubted.

"If you weren't in this Chosen business, I know you would be doing what I'm doing too," Rouge countered. "And besides, if something happened to you, who do you think would be the next person to count on to save the world?"

"Shadow..." Sonic grumbled admittedly.

"Yeah, I thought so," Rouge snickered. "If I can find Shadow, we'll meet up with you if we can and help out. See you later hopefully, speedy."

Rouge then leaped off the back of the Aeolus before anyone could notice, swooping down to the mountains that were almost directly below them. Sonic watched her free fall for a moment, and then he looked forward again. The ships passed through the mountains, descending slightly as they made their way over the first few ivory colored skyscrapers. For a moment the world was still, and the tension built up as the Tempests separated and cruised over the city with the heroes in tow. And then hell fell over them.

"Whoa! Watch out, Tails!" Sonic said, panicked by what was being launched at them in an instant.

The aircrafts weaved in all directions as bolts of energy, black and white flames, and automated turrets on the roofs attempted to shoot them down. At that moment the Tornado fighter planes deployed, shooting through the air as they unleashed waves of gunfire and missiles upon the Aerux, Executioners, and Airborne, while waves of chain gun fire came upon the beasts. But they had numbers on their side, as swarms of beasts tossed their weapons and energy attacks at the heroes and GUN as the battle raged throughout the city, the heroes deploying from the Tempests while those on the turrets stayed behind.

To Sonic it was as if the entire world was shaking. Blasts hammered into the earth, crumbling everything it touched as pathways over beautiful gardens and sprawling plazas were filled with GUN soldiers and heroes attacking the beasts. Civilians ran in all directions for safety, but found none as missiles and gunfire rained down from above while clashing against white and black bolts of energy from the Ragnarok Beasts. But even in the thick of it Tails weaved the Aeolus through the destructive array towards the tower in the middle of it all, looming before them like a pathway to the heavens. Black lines spread along its surface, as if the tower was struggling to truly be free from the dark.

"Tails, there's a spike of energy somewhere in the tower. It has to be where Nebula is," Sonic stated.

"Yeah, I know!" Tails called out. "Hang tight, I'm gonna swoop up for a moment."

The Aeolus ascended quickly and just in time as a massive burst of white flames from a Death Wyvern flew past where they once were. The dragon like Ragnarok Beast shirked as it circled around the plane before unleashing a powerful stream of black flames. Sonic leaped off of the Aeolus and spun into a ball before smashing with full force against the Death Wyvern's head, causing it to shriek out as it's head was pounded inwards. A storm of black and white particles washed across the Aeolus harmlessly as Sonic fell back down onto it, but before he did that, he looked up momentarily.

Even though the top of the Ivory Tower was so far above him, Sonic could still see Nebula. Though he was so far above that his figure was unclear and Sonic couldn't tell what form he was in, for a moment Sonic's emerald eyes stared into Nebula's crimson ringed ones. Time seemed to slow as the mortal enemies looked upon each other, and then Sonic fell back onto the Aeolus, finding himself too far below to even see his tiny figure on the skyline.

"Nebula's at the top of the tower," Sonic told Tails. "We're gonna have to go from the bottom up. We'll get slaughtered out here in the air."

"That's what I thought," Tails nodded as the Aeolus dived through the chaos and hovered just above the white walkways and plants of the main plaza. "Charmy, you take over. Take Silver and Blaze to the rest of the city so they can help the heroes and GUN. As of now, Silver is the leader of this operation until we leave the Ivory Tower."

"I won't let you guys down!" Silver promised, Blaze smiling at him to see that he had finally been given a chance. "Ready Charmy?"

"Yup!" Charmy said as the heroes leaped out of the Aeolus and onto the ground in front of one of the entrances, which were two black double doors that towered over the heroes. "Good luck, call me when you need to leave!"

"Take care of the Aeolus," Tails grumbled as Charmy flew away in the Aeolus. "Well now I'm assuming it's basically dead in that hyperactive kid's hands."

"Don't worry. He can get like that, but he's a good pilot," Vector assured.

"I think we should focus on bigger problems. The Spring Equinox has been happening for ten minutes. We need to get to the top of this thing before Nebula's plan is ready," Knuckles reminded them, facing the door. "I'll take care of the door. Deep Impact!"

The red echidna punched forward with a powerful scarlet force surrounding his fist. And the moment he made contact with the door a powerful explosion radiated out from the contact, punching a giant hole in the door. The other heroes looked impressed at Knuckles' great strength, but a Guardian turned around to face them and they knew they would just waste time sticking around. Without any hesitation the group of nine heroes jumped through the hole Knuckles made, entering Nebula's sanctuary as their ascension began.

* * *

**Location: Sacred Canopy**

**World's Key Plan: 6 hours, 45 minutes**

"I wish you all could feel these energies like I do," Combat Nebula stated from the roof of the Ivory Tower. The clouds seemed to be only a leap's length from the roof, and the sprouting black towers ended just a little bit higher than the main roof. Down below them the chaos was still clearly visible, the clash between the great forces echoing even to where Nebula looked over at it all. "It is so close now...Ragnarok's ambitions are about to be fulfilled."

"I cannot wait, Master Nebula. I know you will make this world one where we will all have a second chance," Typhoon said confidently, standing behind him along with Mintra and Nightmare.

"I will, Typhoon. You three have survived this far because you are truly dedicated to the vision, to seeing this world be reincarnated into something pure and beautiful," Nebula said.

"Thank you, Master, but the heroes have already entered the Ivory Tower," Mintra questioned. "At this rate, they will make it here in time."

"I have taken that into account," Nebula told him. "You will go and intercept the heroes. Keep them away from the main machine, and impede their progress if you cannot kill them. Consider this your final test, to defy your own daughter."

"Yes Master," Mintra nodded, vanishing through his own portal.

"And what of the rest of us Master?" Nightmare asked.

"You will guard the Angel's Skyline, so that no one will be able to higher and reach here," Nebula ordered. "Typhoon will stay here with me, to guard this area from above and help me prepare. When the time comes, I will call you two up here through the portals."

Nightmare did not say another word, nodding and leaping through another portal. Typhoon's cloak waved about in the wind as a GUN Walker approached from the air, only for a massive tornado the size of a skyscraper to tear it and the other GUN Helicopters to shreds. As the shards of metal surrounded by fire descended like fiery hail towards the ground, Nebula smiled a toothy grin. It wouldn't be too long before 4,000 years of suffering paid off.

And he would be damned if Sonic could stop him.

* * *

**Location: Ivory Tower**

**World's Key Plan: 6 hours, 41 minutes**

The heroes all ran to the massive floating platform in the middle of the room, jumping on it before it ascended through a long tunnel of black with repeating white lights. As the group of nine looked up a massive Guardian landed on the platform, rocking it as it unsheathed its large blades. Espio and Tails nodded to each other, launching forward at the beast from different sides. The Guardian shirked as it unleashed sword swipes in every direction, but to no avail as Tails flew around them and Espio flipped through each strike.

"He's far more aggressive," Espio said. "Nebula's desperate to keep you guys from getting all the way to the top."

"Well, that won't stop us!" Gemini said.

"Yeah, don't you have some sort of ninja trick to beat this guy?" Alice asked.

"I have just the one. Let's do this!" Espio declared.

The chameleon kicked off of the Guardian's sword as it tried to slice him again, and as Tails flew past him he tossed a chain full of ninja tags to him. The yellow fox flew all around the Guardian, ensnaring it while dodging its powerful attacks, and Espio fell into a meditative pose. Before the beast could hit Tails the fox flew away, leaving powerful metal chains that caught the Guardian and rooted it to the ground.

Before it could break free Espio used his Ninja Art: Trigger technique, forming a tiger hand sign before rippling explosions from the ninja tags tore the Guardian apart into a storm of black and white particles. Tails landed on the ground and Espio got up from his meditative pose as the elevator finally slowed down, the heroes preparing for another fight. The elevator platform then came to a stop, allowing the heroes to step off onto solid floor, which almost felt like a relief except for the room that they were now in.

"So confusing!" Cream squealed.

"God, I hate this place," Amy whined.

"Me too. I used to have the luxury of the Ragnarok portals, as they would just take me to where I want to go, but there was no way I could really figure out which places leaded where," Gemini responded.

Even Sonic could feel the strife everyone else did despite his speed. The platform they were on was the top of the white elevator shaft, but the shaft sunk down into the abysses far below and above. The walls were a deep turquoise, with abstract white staircases spiraling in all directions and to all different areas within the room, forming its own unique labyrinth. To add to their misery, vortexes of black and white released swarms of Nerux on the stairs and Renux on the walls, all moving slowly towards them to give them the fight of their lives.

"We need to split up here," Sonic realized. "Nebula would still be up above on the roof, but the Chaos Emeralds and Chaos Cores are clearly below, in the underground levels of the tower."

"Good point. Me, Cream, Espio, and Vector are going down. See you guys on the outside," Tails debriefed before the four leaped off of the shaft, landing on a staircase far down below before they ran away from the Nerux and Renux pursuing them.

"Well, it looks like it's just the four of us now, huh?" Gemini smirked. "The final stretch, with Nebula at the top waiting for us. All we have to do is take any pathway, because they all go to the same place: the Sacred Canopy."

"You ready?" Sonic asked tauntingly. "I mean, you really just gained your memories."

"Underestimating me will leave you disappointed. I never lose a bet," Gemini said. "I can handle this."

"It's a bet, then!" Sonic grinned, running across the staircase directly ahead of them followed by the other heroes as they cut through the Ragnarok Beasts in their path.

* * *

**Location: Ivory City**

**World's Key Plan: 6 hours, 18 minutes**

Rouge ran through the streets, dodging a streaking missile from a Big Walker followed by the crash of a GUN Helicopter against the ground, releasing a burst of flames. The bat dashed across a plaza, helping out a hero by kicking two Aerux into submission before she hovered over a garden and kicked one off the mysterious light orbs into a Airborne, causing it to explode in a release of light. The bat could feel Shadow's powerful energies-after scouring many blocks for him she would finally be reunited with him again.

"Get out of the way!" Rouge roared as two Guardians landed in front of her, their swords held out intimidatingly. "Bother someone else!"

But she received no reply as the first Guardian lunged and smashed its powerful sword into the concrete, fracturing it. The bat flipped back and tossed a volley of bombs forward, but the Guardians blocked it with their swords. Glaring in frustration, the bat summoned a Black Wave into her hands, the ebony pulses rippling through the air on their way to the Guardian. The Ragnarok Beast was pushed across the street by the attack, though it still stood.

The other leaped into the air despite its bulk and fired off two blue crescents in the shape of an X from its blades, which Rouge dodged only to have the Guardian crash next to her and knock her away with the edge of one of its large swords. The bat flew through the air before landing in an intersection, groaning before she got to her feet and found one of the Guardians standing before her. Just as it attacked again she dodged a wave of stray gunfire before she leaped up and used a Slicing Kick. The Guardian's head fell off and dissolved, followed by the rest of its body.

"That's how it's done!" Rouge boasted before the other Guardian landed in the intersection, followed by two Executioners and a Death Wyvern. Though a squad of GUN soldiers were there along with two other heroes, she doubted their chances of survival. "I spoke too soon."

But as the Ragnarok Beasts prepared to attack, a powerful directed wave of red chaos energy overtook the Death Wyvern, causing its wings to burn off. And as the powerful Ragnarok Beast fell through the air a blurry figure leaped on its back before a wave of sharp yellow projectiles cut through the beast's chest. Rouge looked in shock-it could only be one person. The Executioners turned towards the attacker, but in that instant a sharp crimson bolt of light cut through each of their chests. The Guardian turned as well, but in that instant a GUN Helicopter mowed it down with chain gun fire.

"It can't be..." Rouge said in shock as the ebony furred hedgehog landed before her, his crimson eyes peering into her turquoise ones. "...you're really back."

"I wouldn't just leave you and Omega...and Sonic," Shadow stated. In addition to his regular clothing, the black hedgehog wore a scarlet vest, and he had bandages wrapped around his arms all the way around his shoulders, while the unwrapped part fell down his back. "All I needed was some soul searching."

"We missed you so much," Rouge said, embracing him tightly for a moment before realizing in the chaos what their job was. "Sonic and the others are going after Nebula at the top of the Ivory Tower before he starts his plan. That's what all of this chaos is about."

"Then they're probably going to need some backup," Shadow decided as they got into the GUN Helicopter, where a group of heroes were waiting inside, two at mounted chain guns and two waiting inside. "We need to help out everyone we can on the way to the tower, and then we'll find a way up. There's chaos fields around the tower's exterior, so I can't Chaos Control through the tower or up into the sky."

"Sounds like the only good plan we can really muster right now," Rouge admitted.

"Also, I'm not sure if I took in what I really saw, but I swear to everything I saw Lance and Cyrus walking through the fighting towards the Ivory Tower," Shadow stated to Rouge's shock. "We have to let the heroes know. Whatever he's up to can't be good."

"Then let's go!" Rouge said.

The GUN Helicopter then took off across the Ivory City towards the Ivory Tower, raining gunfire down upon the army of Ragnarok Beasts on the way.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so the last battle of the Ivory War begins! Can the heroes make it to Nebula before he unleashes the World's Key Plan? Who will die in the chaos of the war? What was Shadow doing in his soul searching? What do Cyrus and Lance want with those in the Ivory Tower in the middle of everything? And what is Nebula's World's Key Plan? Hang tight for next chapter, Perfect Unity, which will continue the Ragnarok Arc.

Also, please review. The five hundred mark made made especially happy, and I can't wait to still hear what you guys think of everything that's happening! :D


	50. Perfect Unity

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 50: Perfect Unity

**Location: Ivory Catacombs**

**World's Key Plan: 6 hours**

Tails, Cream, Espio, and Vector turned around the corner of the corridor as it ended, finding themselves in a small room with an abyss below it and white structures made of many platforms hanging from the roof of the turquoise tinted room. More vortexes appeared in the air, causing Aerux and Nerux to emerge from them. The four jumped onto the first hanging structure as the Nerux drew their swords, approaching from all sides.

"Don't worry guys, just try to attack only what keeps us from going forward," Tails said. And Espio truly believed in his leadership. He wore a medium sized gray backpack full of different technologies, and pouches attached to his sides were full with Energy Spheres.

Cream waved her hands out in all directions, her chao following her commands as cyan auras surrounded them and they slammed into every one of their targets. The other heroes were impressed as she waved around in a deadly dance, killing everything around them. But before any of them could do much more an Airborne suddenly swooped down, unleashing a powerful black laser from its mouth which burst apart the hanging structure and knocked the heroes away from each other.

"Damn it!" Espio hissed as he landed on the edge of one of the platform, barely hanging on himself with a kunai as he pulled up Cream from the abyss below them.

The two hung from the edge, desperately trying to get up, but suddenly a squad of Renux leaped down, one of them lunging at the group. Espio saw it coming, and quickly heaved Cream up so she could fly to solid metal, but the Ragnarok Beast ripped off the side of the platform with a wave of its claws. The rabbit quickly killed it and two of the other Nerux with a Chao Tornado, but she could nothing as Espio hurled through the air, falling through the abyss. For a moment she thought that Espio was gone forever, but suddenly the chameleon puffed away-it could only be through his Shadow Clone Jutsu.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" Espio bellowed from a platform above. Cream covered her face as the fiery arrow like blazes punctured the platform, destroying every Renux but one which Cream then shot at using her ears as slingshots to stomp its head into the ground.

"We need to get to the other side of the room where we can reunite with Tails and Vector," Espio said as more Renux and Nerux covered the platforms.

"How about flying on me? I can go far fast," Cream suggested.

"So we can get knocked out of the air? I don't know about that," Espio replied.

"Can't you turn invisible?" Cream reminded, causing him to sweat in embarrassment at forgetting his trademark ability. "Come on, put it on! I rhymed!"

"I'm proud of you, I guess," Espio said. "Ninja Leaf Swirl!"

And with the swirl of a small cyclone filled with glistening leaves, the chameleon, rabbit, and her chao were all gone. The air seemed to shift as they passed through it and directly past their enemies, but all of them seemed to be moving in the direction they were moving towards just at a slower pace. Finally the two landed on the last platform which had a door that led to the next room, where Tails and Vector were already waiting. The former let loose barrages of Energy Lasers as the Ragnarok Beasts approached and the two revealed themselves to Vector's shock.

"You guys could've given us some warning! We were a little busy," Vector stated.

"You mean I was a little busy," Tails corrected, firing off an Energy Sphere which tore one of the hanging structures off the ceiling and plummeted at least fifty Ragnarok Beasts to their death. "I know these rooms seem endless, but there's something powerful up ahead."

"I can feel it too," Espio agreed. "Is is the Emeralds and Cores?"

"Not sure," Tails responded as he stopped firing and the group looked ahead past the bridge into the corridor. "But it's something and we need to be prepared. I'm gonna blow up the bridge and then cave in the corridor once we're through it so we can't be followed."

"Sounds good. We don't have time to waste," Espio said before the four raced across the bridge. As they got to the other side Tails fired an Energy Sphere at it and the four raced into the corridor.

"This corridor is all that stands between us and the power spike," Tails said as the group walked through a narrow hallway of azure walls, with green lines running up the sides. The group slowly trudged through the white floored corridor slowly, ready to fight. The tension built up as Tails summoned an Energy Sphere, ready to fire it at the ceiling while they approached the end of the corridor and a brilliant white light concealed whatever laid beyond. "Get ready guys."

"Do it," Vector urged from the back of the group, watching the Renux entering the corridor from the other end, and so Tails fired.

At that moment the four rushed forward, the corridor falling apart behind them. But then at that moment everything went wrong. The fox, rabbit, and chameleon ran through into the light, but as Vector tried to follow, a sudden wave of metal from above fell in his path, blocking the exit. And as he turned the corridor was caving in, the destruction slowly moving towards him. Espio called out in shock, but Vector smirked at him before he aimed a Fireball at the ground, leaping through his escape hole as the corridor fell apart completely in his wake.

"Vector!" Espio called out again in shock as Tails pulled him back.

"I'm okay!" Vector called out faintly from far below. "I'm gonna find an exit if I can and get out. See you on the outside."

"Got it!" Tails called back, turning back on him and into the room they were in.

"It's nice to know the crocodile is fine, but I hate being ignored."

The floor below them seemed to be made out of a pure obsidian metal, with gray gear like patterns through them. The rest of the room seemed to be a massive, glowing white dome with lines running across it. The room had a circle on the top that seemed to be the only other exit, though it was sealed shut. The three heroes moved into fighting positions, ignoring the bright light that permeated the room as they gazed upon the lone figure standing the middle of the room with his chao floating by his side who just spoke to them seconds before.

"Oh my god," Cream squeaked, suddenly falling to her knees in shock once again. Tails couldn't believe what she was going through, even when she knew that Mintra being alive and working for Ragnarok was reality now. "Daddy..."

"Don't worry Cream. Soon enough, everything will be all right," Mintra assured, his chao landing on his shoulder and planting himself there as waves of light green energy spread out from him. "Nebula agrees; you are young and still learning, and so you will have a chance with me in the new world Nebula will create. And I will start here by eliminating your 'allies'."

"You're wrong," Tails said. "We will stop you. Right now, the rest of the heroes are heading to the top of the tower to take out Nebula."

"You have no right to judge. The integrity of a person is determined by what they do when the storm is upon them-not when the skies are clear," Mintra stated, his cloak waving about from the force of his aura. "With my Chao Unity, I will push you to desperation, and show you how foolish you truly are."

"Get ready," Espio told Tails, who nodded, summoning his Plasma Blade from the barrel of his Energy Cannon. "His aura shows he's probably one of the stronger Ragnarok members."

"Now, face Ragnarok's absolution," Mintra said before rushing forward, summoning Chao Whips to his hands.

Espio pulled out numerous shuriken and fired off a wave at the green rabbit, who simply smirked. He leaped up into the air, still flying towards the deadly spinning projectiles, and suddenly unleashed a barrage of blurry movements which knocked all of the shuriken out of the air. Espio looked in shock as Mintra landed and continued his charge, but he formed numerous hand signs before unleashing his Fire Style: Dragon Fire Missile Jutsu. The massive jet of flame rushed across the large dome like room towards Mintra, even melting the metal beneath it as it headed towards Mintra.

The impact of the jutsu hit with a deafening boom that unleashed powerful streams of flame in every direction. Espio kept blowing, pouring on the blaze as the room sweltered with heat. Finally he stopped, sending billowing smoke everywhere. Tails stayed close to Cream, who stood up to see what the fate of her father was, while Espio pulled out a kunai and a scroll just in case. Tension filled the room as the three looked into the center of the destruction and the smoke finally cleared, revealing what happened to the shock of the three.

"The attack was one of the most impressive Fire Style Jutsu I have ever come across," Mintra commended, holding one of his hands out as a wall of almost liquid like energy steamed in front of him. "You would have surely defeated me, but unleashing a strong attack like that to defeat me in one blow without accounting for any of my defenses such as my Chao Wall was rather reckless, leaving you with much less chaos energy."

"Shut up. You're still outnumbered, and you have no idea what else we can do," Tails accused. "More importantly, how could you do something like this to your own daughter? Did you ever think about how all of this is affecting her?"

"I did. But sacrifice is a necessary part of life. If you cannot have sacrifice, then you don't deserve to have life, either," Mintra countered.

"We'll see," Tails said, readying his Energy Cannon. "Cream, stay back. Me and Espio can take him."

"Teleport Scroll!" Espio called out, suddenly vanishing in a poof of smoke.

Mintra looked around, but suddenly found the chameleon in the air above him, coming down with a powerful kick. The rabbit sliced out at him, but he suddenly vanished again in a poof. The rabbit spun around multiple times, slicing out and missing the chameleon over and over as they moved in a deadly dance, with any wrong move being their last. Finally Mintra slowed down and closed his eyes before swiping out at Espio and leaped back in the wrong direction.

As Espio reappeared again he found himself right below Mintra as he received a powerful drop kick which knocked him back up into the air before the Ragnarok agent sliced across his stomach with his Chao Whips, drawing a stream of crimson liquid. Espio slid back, but as he did, slipping into unconsciousness, he smirked. The rabbit looked above just in time as Tails fired down with an Energy Sphere that fell down like a meteor from the heavens, overtaking the rabbit as orange energy spewed along the floor.

"I think we got him this time," Tails hoped.

But as the fox landed, Mintra suddenly rushed at him, Chao Whips in hand. Tails quickly fired off numerous Energy Streams at him which he leaped high into the air to dodge. The fox continued to fire Energy Streams at him which he dodged from in all directions. Eventually hundreds of streams cornered him from every side like orange tendrils, filling the air around him from all sides. And just as they shot in for him he swiped out in every direction with his Chao Whips, cutting apart the streams and causing orange rain to fall from the sky.

"I can't believe it...that speed and strength is unparalleled," Tails said. "He could even cut through foreign chaos energy."

"That is the power of my Chao Unity. To combine the power of a chao and anthro to create an even bigger power, one that could manipulate things neither could on their own," Mintra said, a green aura surrounding him as he swooped down at Tails. "Chao Meteor!"

Tails cried out as Mintra slammed into him head on. The impact released a force which tossed the two tailed fox across the room and into the side of the glowing dome. The web of cracks spread as the fox dented the dome, dimming the glow slightly. Tails fell to the ground as Mintra approached him slowly, relinquishing his Chao Whips and holding his hands out towards Tails. Green energy gathered as a small speck within his hands as he held it out towards Tails, signaling that he would end it as quick as possible.

"Out of all of my techniques, this is my most lethal one," Mintra stated, getting ready to unleash the attack. "It was never my style, but it can be necessary at times. That's what this is for. Orders are orders, and he needs you dead for this."

"Not so fast!" a familiar high pitched voice shouted.

The green rabbit fired off powerful ripples of green energy which shot through the air as an almost unstoppable force, but suddenly Cream hoisted Tails up in an instant and jumped away. The force of the attack destroyed a good portion of the side of the dome, denting it in and shattering the glass like first layer of the domed room, but in the end the two heroes were left mostly unharmed, the peachy furred rabbit being surrounded by a dark creamy colored aura as Cheese and Chocola rooted themselves on her shoulders while Chanilla stayed on the base of her neck.

"It's remarkable that you are utilizing the Chao Unity just through your will. But it would be best if you stayed out of this," Mintra advised.

"You're wrong. You would never try to harm me like Tails and Espio, and I know what you can do daddy. That's why I have to fight you," Cream countered.

"Why would you ever fight your own family?" Mintra wondered.

"Because the Mintra I knew died a long time ago in the war against the evil GUN. This Mintra is just a bitter old shade of that one," Cream resolved, summoning dark peach colored Chao Whips to her hands after she put Tails down near Espio. Then they charged.

Mintra spun around mid charge and attempted to kick Cream, but she simply weaved through the attack before slicing out for the Ragnarok agent. The green rabbit leaped back, his descent slowed by his ears, but Cream pulled her ears around two of Espio's large shuriken lying on the ground before shooting forward like a slingshot into the chest of her father. The rabbit flew back, but he managed to slow to a halt just as Cream fell upon him, Chao Whips in hand.

The green furred anthro blocked her attacks with his own Chao Whips as they weaved within one another, constantly attacking each other only for the other to dodge and retaliate. But Tails saw that Mintra was slowing down a bit, as Cream was on the offensive and ready to do some damage while Mintra was too afraid to use any more lethal moves. The green rabbit sensed this as well and flipped back, but not before Cream suddenly rushed at him, attempting to end it in one last blow.

"This is it!" Cream yelled.

But the forest furred rabbit suddenly held his together as a speck formed and unleash another Chao Pulse just as Cream was about to land her attack. The force of the ripples shot Cream across the room, and though she used her Chao Unity to block most of the attack, the rest hit her head on, forcing her to drop out of her empowered state. Mintra looked at her solemnly for a moment before looking up at the ceiling, though his thoughts were at the Sacred Canopy. He could only wonder how time was slowing and how much closer Nebula was to cleansing the world.

"You will understand soon Cream, what I want for you. It will be beautiful," Mintra promised.

"Don't get so sure!" Tails shouted.

The rabbit turned just as a powerful seeking projectile of orange energy smashed into him, tossing him through the air before he landed on his back. As he got his feet slowly, burns covering his side, he took a look at Tails' new weapon. The Energy Launcher was a massive dark gray cannon, with bright orange lines running up and down it. The large barrel shined with a brilliant light, and the entire weapon was long enough to be longer than two Energy Cannons-the fox held the end of the barrel with his other hand for support.

"Intellectual fighting types lie you never cease to surprise," Mintra admitted, standing to his feet as he held his hands together. "You came prepared, but I never expected for you to switch your primary weapon."

"This weapon sacrifices versatility for more powerful attacks," Tails stated, holding his barrel up to fire another Energy Missile. "I know it seems weird I would tell you how it works, but there's nothing you can do. You beat Espio because he underestimated your thinking, and you beat Cream because she has the exact same abilities as you. But experience can't beat technology. It always changes, and that's why I'll beat you."

"Good point. But you forget I haven't shown you all I can do. Maybe you're underestimating me as well," Mintra replied before unleashing another Chao Pulse.

The fox smirked as the Chao Pulse rushed at him, firing off another Energy Missile. The two attacks collided, sending dark lime and fiery orange along their sides. To Tails' surprise another Chao Pulse was fired at him, but then two more were fired in a rapid succession. The yellow fox prepared to fire another Energy Missile, but he knew he couldn't fire them that fast, and he couldn't dodge the pulses. As the attacks rushed towards him he could've swore his life flashed before him, and he knew at that moment that it could be his end.

But then, a figure dropped down, standing in between Tails and the attacks. His gray fur waved about as he stood defiantly in the face of destruction for the yellow fox, holding out his gauntlet decorated arms as he unleashed a wave of electricity to deflect the pulses around them. The fox was taken by shock as the icy cold and electric eyes glanced back him for a moment, peering down into his soul despite everything happening around them, and he could not believe his eyes. He knew he was still alive, but his return couldn't have been this soon.

"Have you missed me Miles? Or have simply tried to forget, but to no avail?" Cyrus Tech stated. "It may be hard for you to do so now that I have spared your life from this Ragnarok agent. Consider it on a whim that it would be a shame to have the only other person who can understand me intellectually be murdered for a ridiculous, self serving cause."

"You...you're really back..." Tails murmured.

"Well, you didn't have the guts to kill me, remember?" Cyrus recalled as Mintra's form became visible through the smoke as he gazed upon Cyrus. "You convinced yourself you were too tired to do it, but anyone with the drive would have knocked my head off my shoulders. It's too bad the only person who can understand me is so weak."

"Nebula had a feeling you would show up here," Mintra said, glaring at him. "What do you want?"

"It would be foolish of me to reveal my intentions. Admirable effort, however," Cyrus grinned, a deadly glint in his eyes. "All you need to know is that I don't want the young fox to die and you want him dead, so now you're my opponent. It wouldn't be fair to pick on a wounded child as a Ragnarok member, or have your morals faded so quickly?"

"Curse you!" Mintra yelled as Tails ran over to Espio and Cream, the rabbit beginning to recover while the fox slung the unconscious Espio over his shoulder.

"Shock Piercer," Cyrus uttered, firing the almost divine force of compact electricity from around his left gauntlet at Mintra, who flipped over it gracefully.

The rabbit summoned two Chao Whips as he fell, slamming them against the claws the emerged from Cyrus' gauntlets. The fox pushed away from him and unleashed a wide wave of electricity which traveled towards the Ragnarok agent. The rabbit spun around with his Chao Whips to cut through the electricity, then he swiped out multiple times, unleashing crescent like waves of electricity from each slash. The gray fox clicked his gauntlets against each others as the Plasma Shields formed in front of him, hiding him from the attack as it came from all around him.

When the smoke faded, Cyrus emerged from it, jumping high into the air before kicking off of the side of the dome and at Mintra, electricity coating his gauntlet claws. The rabbit jumped to the side and over the shock wave as the electricity coursed through the ground before going into a Chao Meteor. Cyrus looked in shock before he sidestepped it, only to get clipped in the side. The gray fox was pushed back, but he slammed both of his claws into the ground, slowing himself.

"You still don't stand a chance Cyrus," Mintra stated, rushing forward before attempting to high kick Cyrus only for the fox to flip back out of range. "You may be smart, but I'm just the better fighter."

"Seems that you have forgotten the rule of brains over brawn in battle," Cyrus smirked, jabbing out for him numerous times only to have him dodge each one. Mintra then attempted to counterattack with a Chao Whip, but Cyrus leaped over him and smashed him into the ground with an orb of electricity. "You also forget that I have the advantage of youth, Mintra. Age has caught up to you."

"Age has also granted me the knowledge of experience, the greatest type of knowledge," Mintra replied, holding a speck of green in each hand before firing off two Chao Pulses at the fox. "I thought you would realize that."

The two impacts released bursts of flowing green energy that covered a half of the room, but Mintra was not done yet. The rabbit summoned numerous more Chao Pulses and fired them across the room in rapid succession, unleashing one final explosions which ripped much off the glass like plating off of the dome. Mintra finally stopped, panting heavily as his aura dimmed slightly. Tails looked in confusion, not sure exactly who to root for, even though Cyrus had saved his life. The smoke was filled with silence, but when it cleared there was no one there.

"That's impossible! I saw him get hit!" Mintra exclaimed. "He should be lying there dead."

"I released the hologram when I hit you with the electric orb," Cyrus stated, grabbing Mintra's throat and hoisting him up into the air. "Until then, I had been using magnetic fields to conceal myself. I told you, technology is ever changing, and you cannot simply adapt to it like other styles. You've lost."

With that the gray fox let go of him, only to kick him high into the air. The rabbit tried to escape as he fell through the air, but it was hopeless. The gray fox suddenly clasped his gauntlets together as they warped and changed shape, suddenly no longer gauntlets and instead a long black cannon. The fox smirked before unleashing his Shock Laser attack from the flower like barrel, sending a high powered stream of electricity into the rabbit. The massive impact sent waves of electricity in all directions, completely overtaking the Ragnarok rabbit and most of the top of the dome.

"You see Tails, that's how it's done," Cyrus said. "A quick kill. Now we can escape before-"

"I'm not done yet, Cyrus!" Mintra hissed, dropping down from the smoke. Wounds covered his body, and arcs of electricity hindered him slightly, but he seemed to still be able to fight. "You underestimate me. My Chao Unity allows me to at least partially deflect most techniques, and so just not being able to dodge an attack does not make me vulnerable."

"Cute, but thankfully I had prepared for such a scenario," Cyrus stated, forming the cannon back into his gauntlets, holding out his right one as electricity gathered heavily around it. "The Shock Echo is my most powerful technique. Not because of the fact that initial attack serve to stimulate the ions and provide even more power, but because I can hone the attack on any location within about a half of kilometer of here, from all sides."

"So...that means..." Mintra realized.

"I have created the first truly unstoppable attack," Cyrus smirked.

"Damn you...people like you are the reason this world needs to be changed," Mintra accused.

"Don't be ridiculous, Mintra the Rabbit. Farewell," Cyrus said, holding out his gauntlet at Mintra. "Shock Echo."

Mintra leaped back, but it was already too late. In that instant weaves of electricity instantly emerged in the air, overtaking him. The rabbit attempted to use a Chao Pulse, but then even more electricity began to cover the entire area around him, literally disintegrating him cell by cell. The electrical power came in from all sides before it finally faded. The side of the room and much of the floor was a dark ashy color, while sparks fell upon the wrecked room. Cyrus walked towards Tails and Cream with Espio on the former's back, a faint and eerie smile on his face.

"Don't worry, it will leave nothing left of him," Cyrus assured.

"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better," Tails retorted sarcastically. "Don't forget that you tried to enslave the world, and kill me just a few weeks ago. And what are you doing here anyway?"

"Helping you...to an extent," Cyrus said. "It will be much better for me if you succeed than if Nebula does. Actually, it will be better if you both fail, but after Nebula reaches a certain point."

"What do you mean?" Tails wondered.

"Well, the goal was for me to wait until after Nebula uses the Chaos Emeralds and Chaos Cores and then Sonic attacks and hopefully defeats him with the other heroes. With both sides weakened, I could go to the top, take control of Nebula, and have create a new world not in his image but in my own," Cyrus explained. "Not a bad plan, right?"

"It's very situational. A lot could go wrong," Tails stated. "But I think you have another part."

"Correct. See, right now Lance has met up with the crocodile, and the two have planted bombs that will destroy the Ivory Catacombs. Doing so will tip the edge enough for Sonic to weaken Nebula to a point of my choosing," Cyrus concluded. "I'm only telling you this because I know you can't do anything to stop me. I underestimated you last time, but you know now that I am much more powerful than I let on. And your allies will too preoccupied in all of this."

"Wait. If those bombs have been planted, then shouldn't we get out of here and meet up with Vector and Lance?" Tails wondered.

"My Shock Laser blew a hole in the dome," Cyrus said as the Ivory Catacombs began to shake. "Let's go."

Cyrus used his Jet Pack to shoot out of the opening, followed by Tails holding Espio and Cream. They would have to work with him, and hope that he didn't do anything to impede them before Sonic and Nebula fought.

Of course, things can go wrong.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And with Cyrus' plans revealed and Mintra dead, Tails' group escapes with help and Sonic's group continues to ascend the Ivory Tower to defeat Nebula. What will happen to the heroes on the way to the top? What will happen with the uneasy tension between Tails and Cyrus? And will Sonic defeat Nebula before the World's Key Plan is unleashed? Please review and hang tight for next update, where this epic arc continues and even more cataclysmic events unfold!

PS: Longest chapter of this story so far at over 5k words, and there's only ten chapters left! It's so bittersweet! Oh, and there's new poll on my profile. Check it out!


	51. Lost in a Mirage

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 51: Lost in a Mirage

**Location: Heavenly Foundation**

**World's Key Plan: 4 hours, 50 minutes**

"Where are we now?" Amy asked. "What happened to this place?"

The room of Aersus' last fight was full of destruction. Craters and cracks covered every surface, while about half of the pillars had fallen or been destroyed. There was a large gaping hole in the side of the room, letting in fresh air and giving the heroes a view of the Ivory City below. Whole blocks of the city were on fire, letting smoke high into the air and deafening booms drowned out much of the peace that was before, even up there. The heroes walked through in shock, as they could only wonder what happened there.

"I have no idea," Sonic said. "Some sort of fight I'm guessing by the looks of this place. And they had to be strong. But there's no bodies."

"Does this mean someone was here before us?" Alice asked.

"We could use the help," Knuckles joked.

"That's true. I've never fought so long and hard in my entire life," Sonic agreed.

"Aersus was here. Me and him have always been connected. I can feel that he was here," Gemini told them.

"But then where's his body?" Sonic questioned.

"Up ahead, somewhere in this tower," Gemini answered, looking around one last time before he walked ahead. "Let's keep going. We don't have much time left, and we're a little under half way up."

"Right," Sonic nodded as the group dashed on through the area towards the next corridor.

The group suddenly found themselves in the darkness of the corridor, with only dim lights above to keep them going through the blackness. Eventually they reached the end of the corridor, stepping onto a circular black platform with a white glowing ring outlining it. Suddenly the platform ascended through the shaft of white, almost blinding them from the glow. Th group of five looked at each other as they felt a growing power ahead-they would be facing a challenge on a different level at any moment. Finally they all looked up as the platform finally slowed, ascending into the light.

* * *

**Location: Purgatory's Skyway**

**World's Key Plan: 4 hours, 35 minutes**

The heroes stepped off of the platform as it stopped, finding themselves in an unusual area. The area before them stretched out greatly, encompassing the entire width of the tower. Only four gargantuan obsidian pillars held up the rest of the tower from the corners, while the rest of the area was merely an open scape high in the air but still below the sky. Countless long sheets of translucent sky blue made up the floating platforms which seemed to drift slowly on their own, forming a labyrinth on the way to the four elevators within the columns.

"Wow...nice view of the world below," Sonic marveled, seeing past the battles going on below, past the island, and all the way to the mainland of Adabat in the distance. "I could look at this for a while."

The heroes looked up at the drifting platforms from their solid one at the top of the shaft, and quickly leaped up onto the first. But the moment they did, a powerful wind suddenly appeared with enough force to blow all of the heroes back except for Gemini. The rosy hedgehog covered his face to ward off the wind, but as he put his hands down, a transparent bubble-like barrier with a purple hue covered almost all of the platforms except for the outside ones that the others drifted on, looking within. Across from Gemini three platforms ahead was Nightmare, his unusual black eyes with purple swirls forming a makeshift iris glaring at him.

"You know I can't let you go on any farther, Gemini," Nightmare said, drawing his Chaos Cannon Guns. "My mission still stands. You know too much, and I can't have you interfering with Nebula's plans."

"I guess you read my mind," Gemini snarled. "I still haven't paid you back for making me and Aersus kill her. And I've been dying to take my revenge."

"It's amusing that you have your memories back. This will make things a little more interesting," Nightmare said, almost with glee as his cloak flapped in the high winds. "I hope you've brought your game, Gemini. Any hesitation will mean your death."

"When I'm really in it to take risks, the gamble usually works out in my favor," Gemini said, looking over his shoulder one last time to find that the ghost of Virgo had finally disappeared. "We don't need any more words, Nightmare. I want you dead so I can go forward, and you want me dead so we cant move forward. So let's just end this."

"Bold words," Nightmare said, suddenly dispersing in rippling streams of vermilion before his voice then came from behind him. "Let's see you back them up, then."

Gemini leaped up onto the back side of one of the platforms as a powerful blast of green cut through the air below him. The hedgehog shot directly down at the coyote, but he simply aimed his other gun at Gemini. The rosy anthro fired a Dark Cannon shot to the side to push himself out of the way of the other green blast before he landed and summoned a Dark Cutter as he lunged for the Ragnarok agent. The impact would have been instant if not for the fact that Nightmare suddenly burst into streams of violet and ebony energies which then formed into a massive hand that grappled the rosy hedgehog and hoisted him up into the air.

"Stay still now," Nightmare teased, magically appearing into existence in bursts of purple energy before he fired a green blast from within.

Gemini struggled as the attack approached before he cut apart the massive hand and landed, just before he turned around and slashed through the green blast, which scorched his fur slightly but eventually dissipated into nothing. For a moment there was silence and the coyote simply snickered, but Gemini narrowed his eyes in return and split into two before they each approached from a different angle, leaping across the platforms towards Nightmare. The coyote held out both of his Chaos Cannon Guns calmly and fired off a powerful barrage of green blasts from each, which covered many platforms easily.

The two used their agility to quickly weave in between the blasts which left the unusual platforms unharmed as they continued to move towards the azure striped canine. The heroes ducked as the blasts sailed over their head, while the two Geminis moved towards Nightmare, who continued to fire at them. Finally Nightmare fired one last blast which screamed towards the two. A powerful explosion shot out from the impact, covering the immediate platforms in clouds of smoke. The coyote simply looked passively, scanning the smoke.

"I know you're too persistent to die so fast," Nightmare said. "Get out here."

"Orbiting Darkness!" Gemini called out.

Nightmare turned around, but it was too late. The coyote was dragged back by Gemini before the hedgehog grabbed him and spun him around, tossing him high up into the air. The coyote righted himself in mid air and attempted to fire down at him, but the other Gemini was behind him in a flash, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks before the other Gemini joined him and the two spun around with him in swirls of black energy before tossing him at the ground.

The coyote cried out, but before he could react both Geminis pulled themselves together, and spun around like a drill surrounded in black. The two slammed into Nightmare with a powerful impact before they hit the ground, sending out a rotating shock wave of ebony which pushed many of the platforms away. Gemini leaped off of the bloody corpse of Nightmare and formed back into one body, looking at the mangled body in disgust.

"Man, that's nasty. But my new attack got him just like it should," Gemini smirked. "Now, how to get out of this bubble?"

"What an impressive attack. You have improved greatly," Nightmare admitted, standing behind Gemini, unharmed form the attack with one of his barrels pressed against Gemini's temple. "But you'll still have to die."

Gemini split into two just as Nightmare unleashed the blast, however this one was a dark purple with a black outline. The hedgehog reformed once the attack dissipated and summoned a Dark Cutter into his hand, but before he could attack Nightmare unleashed another blast. Purple energy burst through the air, tossing Gemini back violently and into the sides of one of the platforms. The hedgehog fell through the air, barely managing to land upright as he coughed up blood. He turned around quickly as Nightmare stood there, grinning with delight as Gemini got to his feet.

"These guns unleash more powerful blasts when I pour my own power into them instead of through the air," Nightmare informed. "I think you would agree that is the case, no?"

"It sounds like you're getting overconfident," Gemini said. "I'm not out of this yet!"

"So willing to defy your fate, aren't you?" Nightmare laughed. "So am I."

The coyote surprisingly put away his guns and held out his hands challengingly towards Gemini, taking a low stance. The hedgehog narrowed his eyes before he ran at him, kicking off of the ground and unleashing a rotating kick. The Ragnarok agent easily ducked under it before he tried to grab Gemini's leg out of the air. The rosy anthro flipped over to avoid Nightmare before he landed behind him, swinging around with a powerful fist for his head. But then there was a flash of movement and the purple furred anthro deflected the attack with his palm, before swinging around with his other fist.

Gemini weaved out of the way before using the momentum to kick out, which Nightmare used his hands to block, though he was pushed back. The Ragnarok canine suddenly launched at Gemini a wave of movement, unleashing a barrage of elegant kicks and jabs for show. The hedgehog was unfazed however, flipped out of the way of whirl of kicks before he lunged for an opening, punching Nightmare directly in the stomach. The coyote grunted, but rolled out of the way as the hedgehog came down with a powerful kick, missing him by a hair.

Gemini picked up his leg and swung around with it, but Nightmare blocked it before smashing Gemini the chest with multiple jabs, causing him to double over. Before he could do much else, Nightmare knocked him up into the air with a high kick. And then as Gemini fell Nightmare grabbed him by the waist upside down, spun around with him, and then smashed him head first into the platform with enough force to shake it. Gemini fell limp as the other heroes looked in shock, unable to help him.

"Now, I'm going to end this," Nightmare said, pulling out his barrel with one hand and holding Gemini with the other. "Any last words?"

"Here's two," Gemini said hoarsely. "Dark Comet!"

Nightmare turned around just as the other Gemini shot at him through the air, encased in a missile of black energy. That was when he realized that when Gemini flipped around, he wasn't just avoiding his attack but masking his separation. Gemini smashed into Nightmare with a powerful impact, sending dark energy spewing in all directions while he merged with his heavily wounded other body. As he landed on the other side in one body he panted in and out slowly-the other Gemini would eventually regenerate, but it would cause him much exhaustion and the inability to separate for a while.

"Looks like you managed to land a good blow on me. I was never very good with dealing with surprises," Nightmare admitted, tossing off his cloak to Gemini's surprise, revealing bandages covering his upper chest, and deep, light beige scars covering the rest of his chest and back, along with his arms. He wore baggy black pants to cover his lower body however, and a white vest to cover his sides and shoulders.

"Give up, Nightmare," Gemini said. "As of now, I'm going to win, and I have a lot more where that came from."

"That would be true, but you have forgotten two things," Nightmare countered. "One, I have effectively disabled your other body, preventing you from using one of your main abilities for the rest of the battle. Two, I still have yet to reveal my mysterious abilities to you."

"Shit," Gemini hissed, realizing that he had been fighting a battle where he didn't know his enemies' real strength at all. "Well if you're not gonna tell me, then shut up."

"My ability, the most powerful in Ragnarok, is to use my chaos energy to manipulate the fabric of reality in a short range, being able to project images into the real world," Nightmare explained to their shock. "It has allowed me to do the impossible, and that includes annihilating you all."

"But a power like that has to have some sort of cost. There's a reason you're not as powerful as Nebula or Typhoon," Gemini deduced.

"That is in the range as I previously stated, Gemini," Nightmare sighed condescendingly. "However, my range extends fifty meters outside of this barrier, which I have also been producing with my ability. So you cannot take advantage of it."

"I won't back down," Gemini promised regardless. "Virgo will be avenged here today. I will atone for our mistakes."

"Then face your end, Gemini Rose the Hedgehog," Nightmare requested, his unusual eyes glistening as they began to spin slowly. "Endless Abyss."

The darkness wielder became mesmerized by the constant rotating motion of the coyote' entrancing orbs of vision. And just as he snapped back into reality the platforms below him shattered and gave way, causing him to fall into the darkness below. The void of darkness that Gemini fell through seemed to defy reality itself, causing him to still fall through the darkness, but it was contained and he was still at the same level that he was before, Nightmare not moving at all and the rest of the tower still being stable.

"Now, I will push beyond the boundaries of reality," Nightmare stated, holding his hands out to his side. "Radiant Creation."

In that instant, two massive chimera like creatures made completely of shining golden flames formed at his sides, screeching loudly. Gemini looked in shock and fired a Dark Cannon up at them, but it had no effect. Suddenly the flame chimeras leaped down into the abyss, biting down on Gemini before exploding in bursts of golden flames. The abyss fell apart as Gemini was tossed back onto a platform, sliding to the very edge of it and hanging on by one hand. Suddenly he looked up and Nightmare was above him, swirling vermilion eyes peering down at him.

"When I was fifteen, I left my life of living on the streets to become a GUN agent, in order to do something with my life," Nightmare told him, pulling out his guns. "But you know what happened? I was forced to work under the same corrupt GUN that destroyed the Ark, and they made me do things. Horrible things."

"Oh god..." Gemini muttered, realizing that the Nightmare he had known since he joined Ragnarok had been insane all along, unstable and with deadly power.

"Their blood...is on my hands," Nightmare said nervously, blood veins popping through the black in his eyes. "I can feel it drip off of me as they scream at me...all of those people that I killed...tormenting me. Ragnarok is all I have...my only redemption. And I'll kill myself and you even before I let you take that away from me, traitor!"

"Dark Comet!" Gemini shouted, flipping up onto the platform and pushing Nightmare back before he shot straight for him with deadly intent. "Don't count me out, the gamble is still up!"

"Don't count me out, either!" Nightmare suddenly shouted. "Shield of Darkness!"

Gemini looked in shock as purple and black energy came together in the middle of the air, forming a massive circle shaped shield of pure ebony, with purple swirls closing in on a smaller circle of purple in the middle. The rosy hedgehog slammed straight into the center of the shield, pushing all of his power into it as black energy rolled all along it. Finally the shield cracked and then split apart as Gemini dropped of out his Dark Comet, falling through the air.

But through the dust came a powerful blast of vermilion and obsidian, forcing Gemini to kick off of one of the pieces of the shield to evade. The hedgehog rolled through the air as another blast streaked through the air towards him. And as he leaped back, dodging another blast from the coyote as he shot towards Gemini, he disappeared, giving way to forming behind Gemini and shooting from the side as he skidded along an adjacent platform.

The force of the blast tossed Gemini through the air like a rag doll, but he managed to land safely on another platform. Nightmare growled angrily and leaped across the platforms towards him, murder in his eyes. As he moved towards Gemini he fired the purple blasts rapidly which Gemini ran away from, moving to the other end of the platform which Nightmare also leaped on to. The coyote sheathed his guns as he landed, panting heavily as the two combatants stared each other down.

"It's impossible, but only you would have found a way to dodge even my greatest of powers. It's as if you're meant to defy fate," Nightmare complimented, lunging for Gemini.

"The gratification won't get you anywhere. We may both be exhausted, but defying reality sure takes its toll, doesn't it?" Gemini said, dodging his lunge and kicking him across the face twice before punching him in the stomach. "It's over, Nightmare. I'm going to beat you up faster than you can run out of energy at this rate."

"Go to hell," Nightmare hissed, pushing himself away from Gemini. "I still have one last trick up my sleeve...my greatest, in fact."

"It it's another reality bending trick, I'm going to win. They take too much of a toll, don't they?" Gemini bet.

"It seems like you just lost another gamble," Nightmare chuckled. "It takes great energy to bend reality in the physical world. But what if I could do so within your mind, where a speck of energy can destroy entire cells?"

"Impossible..." Gemini whispered.

"Oh, it's very possible," Nightmare snickered, looking into Gemini's eyes. "Mind Mirage."

_Gemini looked around as the golden light faded, finding himself in an unusual environment. The skies above were a twisting golden, and the landscape was a barren purple. Black clouds filtered out much of the light, and ruins were all that was left of the rest, of what once was. Before him was a large throne whose top parts stretched into the sky, though the seat was only a few steps away from the ground. A figure stepped off of it, touching the ruined ground and walking towards Gemini, leaving a trail of purple infection in his wake._

"_This is the space I have created where our minds are connected, and I have all the control," Nightmare told him, covered in a black, torn robe adorned in gold, along with a gold and violent scythe in his hand. "This is my final power, the power of the Mind Mirage, to allow me to manipulate the reality of the mind, the greatest one."_

"_I'm still going to kick your ass," Gemini vowed, but found himself struggling as countless chains of purple energy held him to the ground._

"_Oh? And how do you plan to do that?" Nightmare asked. "The world outside is just a place, a network where the minds mingle and interact. And so in a way, I have created my own world, and I can dictate what happens in it."_

"_You're insane, way past due for your time," Gemini spat defiantly._

"_Some could say that," Nightmare sighed. "I remember when the GUN Civil War was over, and all I needed to get that blood off of me was to see my wife and son again...to have a family to hold me together. But I couldn't get that. Instead a former associate tried to kill me for my bounty, but only my found my family, and in rage killed them instead. When I saw him in my house I finally unlocked my abilities...and I tortured him so badly his mind simply locked itself away to keep away from me."_

"_Oh my god," Gemini said slowly, realizing what he was dealing with._

"_It's over," Nightmare replied._

_The hedgehog looked up, only to see crows flying in the air around him. But then they weren't crows, their wings extending and their forms becoming more human like and their claws sharper. Then they dived down for Gemini, slicing through his fur and drawing unbelievable amounts of blood. And he couldn't hold in the screams to Nightmare's delight, ringing throughout the entire wasteland that was Nightmare's technique and fueling his victory._

"Gemini! Snap out of it!" Sonic shouted.

The rosy hedgehog with ebony stripes stood there, his eyes wide and completely motionless as Nightmare approached slowly, taking in his victory. And then he raised his gun, holding it against Gemini's forehead. One trigger will end Gemini's life and the battle, and then the rest of the worn out heroes would come next. The coyote pressed the trigger slowly, counting to ten before he savor the victory he longed to attain for so long.

"_It's not over, Gemini," Nightmare said, sitting on the throne. "I'm going to make this hell in here slow and painful for you. Radiant Descent."_

_Gemini, his own blood covering his body as he finally stopped screaming from his wounds, looked up at the light as the crow like apparitions faded away. In that instant a gargantuan golden orb of flames that was no less brighter than the sun descended slowly upon Gemini, preparing to incinerate him alive. Nightmare looked in glee, almost standing up on his throne to watch his greatest challenge fall at his feet._

"_Give up, Gemini!" Nightmare screamed. "You're as good as dead!"_

"_Dark Vortex!" Gemini cried out almost unconsciously, tears of blood running down his face as he opened his eyes, revealing them to be black with his irises being rings of a menacing gold._

_And in that instant cracks of white began running through everything, causing it to fall apart. Nightmare screamed out as his throne fell apart and Gemini's shackles faded along with the massive sun above him, but he gazed upon Nightmare, pain coursing through every part of his body the coyote never stopped screaming, as if every cell in his body was dying at once. Then with a crash the Mind Mirage fell apart._

Blood splattered onto the platform as Gemini continued to gaze upon Nightmare, unleashing a swirling vortex of black energy that ripped apart everywhere he looked in an instant. The coyote barely managed to stand as the dark energy ripped through him, tearing him apart piece by piece. Eventually he tried to move to another platform, but as he did another vortex formed right on top of him, causing him to tumble onto a platform far below. But nonetheless more blood fell as Gemini continued to use his attack, ripping through everything.

"Stop! Make the pain stop!" Nightmare called out helplessly! "Stop it all! Endless Abyss!"

Even as the abyss formed and Gemini felt himself falling through the darkness he could still see the pain in Nightmare's eyes. And as the thoughts of pain and sorrow emerged his power only grow stronger, enveloping a whole part of the sphere in an endless whirl of obsidian pain. Finally the cries of agony stopped, and the negative thoughts flowed out of Gemini's head, causing him to almost collapse he fell, and the Sealing Bubble and Endless Abyss disappeared. Nightmare laid far below, motionless while his blood laid all around him in a large pool.

Gemini had won.

"Gemini! Oh my god you scared me!" Alice yelled, holding him as he almost fell and his eyes turned back to normal. "You were so close to dying so many times. Don't ever scare me like that again!"

"Trust me, I won't," Gemini promised. "I couldn't leave you alone."

"What technique did you just do? It was incredible," Knuckles commented.

"I don't know. I just thought of what would have happened if I died, and I thought of all of my regrets, and I just couldn't take it. The negative thoughts overpowered me and it just happened. But I won't do that again. It was too painful," Gemini shared.

"Don't bro. You did good though, beating someone that crazy all on your own. I thought you were a goner," Sonic chuckled, patting him on the shoulder.

"I did too. It's made me realize something Alice, that I have to tell you," Gemini said.

"Yes? What is it?" she wondered.

"Die!"

Alice turned around in horror, just as the purple and black energy came together and formed into the bloody and battered body of Nightmare. The coyote was on the brink of death, moving by mere will as he held the barrel of his gun against Alice's back and pulled the trigger. There was a flash of movement, the splatter of blood, the boom of a gunshot, and the flashes of purple and black. The fox screamed out, and Gemini let out a small smile as Nightmare finally hit the ground, no longer breathing.

"I wanted to tell you...that I love you..."

Gemini smiled ever so slightly with those last words, smoke and vapors billowing from the massive hole where his chest once was. And then the light from his eyes faded, and he fell into Alice's arms, starting up at the sky with empty, pale yellow eyes. Amy began to cry, and suddenly Nightmare's defeat was no longer so great. Sonic could barely react, trying to deny what occurred in front of his very eyes, despite the fact they were all stained with his blood.

Gemini Rose the Hedgehog was dead.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: So Virgo's pattern continues...she stops haunting those who finally resolve their inner conflicts, and then they die. Sad stuff, huh? Now that Gemini is dead after confessing his love for Alice, the dynamic of the conflict changes.

Will the heroes be able to cope with his death? Can they stop Nebula in time before his World's Key Plan is activated? Will Shadow and Rouge reach their allies in time? What will Alice do now? What will Typhoon, the last Ragnarok agent do? And what is happening all over the rest of the world at the time?

Hang tight for the next few updates, which will take care of the second half of this arc and lead us into the rest of the final battles! Be sure to drop a review by!


	52. Ascension

**Order to Chaos**

Chapter 52: Ascension

**World's Key Plan: 3 hours, 27 minutes**

Sonic wiped the last of the tears from his face as they leaped off of the platform and into the opening inside one of the four foundation columns, finding themselves within a large square platform which then ascended like an elevator through the southeastern white shaft. Not a word was spoken between the four since what happened in Purgatory's Skyway, though it was clearly the elephant in the room. Amy hadn't stopped crying for a second since she saw that hole in Gemini's chest, and Alice was silent, shedding a few tears but too shocked to really react.

"I can't believe it," Amy sobbed, crying onto Sonic's shoulder. "He had just gotten his memories back. We were going to have our lives back. And now he's gone, with a hole where his chest was!"

"We'll make it though Amy, we'll make it though," Sonic promised, though he wasn't even sure himself. "We have to. For everyone. People like Gemini will be dying everywhere if we don't get to the top of this tower in time."

The blue hedgehog quickly looked at Alice, her expression blank though Sonic could tell much more was going on beneath the surface. It felt wrong to the four to leave Gemini's body, even though he was clearly dead, so Sonic took off his cape and wrapped it around Gemini's corpse which was then strapped to Alice's back and stomach with her own tough bandages. Maybe it gave them some sense of hope that Gemini would come back. But that can't happen once your chest is blown away, and Ray, Mighty, Bark, and Tain didn't come back either.

It was hard for Sonic to face it, but Gemini was gone. Dead. Forever. Just as they became strong comrades, and maybe even friends, their bond was shattered by something out of their control. He could only imagine what Amy was going through, knowing the last of her family was now just a body on Alice's back, colder than ice. And he couldn't even fathom what Alice was thinking, her best friend and boss finally admitting his love to her, only for it to never be fulfilled. The platform finally began to slow, and the heroes finally realized they still had a mission to do.

"What are we going to do?" Sonic asked surprisingly. "I feel somewhat lost now."

"It's simple. We're going to go to the top of this tower, and kick ass. And stop anything in our path on the way up," Knuckles directed, much to Sonic's shock. It was as if now that they were grieving, the two had switched roles momentarily. "Alice, you have the emeralds and cores now. Keep them and Gemini's body safe. It's unlikely the emeralds and cores will save him, because they didn't do it with anyone else, but he's a comrade and so we shouldn't his body to rot. We'll clear the path."

"Got it," Alice nodded, snapping back into reality slightly as she drew a short blade which gleamed in the light an wiped away her tears. "Ready?"

"As best as we can be," Amy said, drawing her hammer and gripping it tightly while Sonic nodded and tensed his legs up, the platform emerging into the next area. "Let's do this!"

* * *

**Location: Paths of Purity**

**World's Key Plan: 3 hours, 11 minutes**

The four heroes emerged into the next room, which was more of a series of pathways. The walls were a pure black with bright white lines running through them, while the floor below them was a light gray, outlined in gear like patterns of a darker gray. The moment they stepped forward multiple portals emerged in the air, releasing Ragnarok Beasts of all kinds. The heroes looked at Sonic, and there was a mutual agreement: the hedgehog would pave the way while Knuckles and Amy guarded Alice and Gemini's body from the others.

"Stay behind me, and you'll be fine," the blue hedgehog promised before looking forward, swearing on Gemini's name that every one of them would feel his pain.

The Guardian suddenly bounded off of the ground, massive blades in its hand as it launched for Sonic. But in that instant the blue hedgehog was gone, avoiding the impact as he leaped onto the wall and then kicked off. The Guardian yelled out as Sonic latched onto its back, instantly forming a Sonic Storm and swiftly drilling it into the beast's back. The swords it wielded dropped to the ground before bursting apart along with the Guardian itself as Sonic landed, only to dodge a pounce from a Renux.

The beast turned around and screeched at Sonic, only for the hedgehog to twist around and bring his foot down on its head as it passed under him. Another one opened its mouth to unleash ball of black flames at Sonic, but the azure furred hedgehog spun under it and careened into the Renux, sending it flying back he uncurled. A few more Nerux summoned their blades and charged, but Sonic stood around no longer, tensing up before breaking the sound barrier in a Sonic Boom, streams of cyan surrounding him in a shell like shape as he barreled through the Ragnarok Beasts in the corridors while tracking the signature of the emeralds and cores at the top of the tower.

"The best path is at the northwest exit," Knuckles told him as they raced behind his warpath. "From there it's a mostly direct shot up."

"Alright, I got this!" Sonic nodded.

The blue hedgehog raced through the corridors, carving their path. Even as a few Executioners stood against him their defenses proved to be little in the face of his Sonic Boom. But as he rounded the corner, drifting and knocking multiple enemies out of the way before shooting down one of five corridors, he found himself face to face with a Guardian. The blue hedgehog smashed into it at full force, dropping out of his Sonic Boom as the Guardian disintegrated. But just as he was about to move into the next area, another portal opened in front of him, unleashing an entirely new Ragnarok Beast.

"Shit," Sonic mumbled under his breath.

"Like we needed anything else to slow us down!" Amy whined.

The Ragnarok Beast took the shape of a massively black plated beast. It had reptilian features such as a large maw and long claws, along with rough gray skin and a long, spiked tail. From its soft gray belly sprouted white tentacles with black harpoon like shapes on the end, and its vermilion eyes glared at the heroes, guarding the exit to the immediate area. The Berserker shrieked out as its tentacles flailed about wildly, whipping at everything in sight.

"Well, it sure is ugly," Alice muttered, panting from Gemini's weight.

"I'm gonna take care of it," Amy said. "It's time I showed you guys how good I've gotten."

"Sounds good enough. Kick its ass for Gemini," Alice encouraged.

"I will," Amy promised, holding her hammer tightly.

The Berserker slammed the ground with its claw, unleashing black energy fissures along the ground. Amy smirked and leaped out of the way before swinging around with her hammer, unleashing a Hammer Tornado. The pink cyclone slammed into the Berserker slightly, making it skid back slightly before its tentacles cut through the winds. Two tentacles reach out for Amy, but she slammed them away with ease before jumping over three more and rolling past another.

Suddenly the tentacles reared up and firing white hot sweeping lasers, but Amy ran along the walls with enough speed to make even Sonic's whistle with admiration. The pink hedgehog leaped off of the wall and fired a Storming Hearts from her free hand at the Berserker, slamming it directly in the head causing it to stagger for a moment as the fuchsia furred female landed, holding her hammer in front of her.

The Berserker righted itself as Amy rushed for it, slashing out at it her with its sharp tentacles only to have most miss. One managed to snake its way around her leg, but Amy quickly flipped over and knocked its grip off with her hammer before jumping over the beast, smashing it over the head on her way across it. The Ragnarok Beast shrieked out before spinning around rapidly with its tentacles, each one firing a sweeping white beam. The pink hedgehog quickly put her hammer in front of her to deflect the attacks away, but it still took a toll on her, pushing her back each time.

"Amy! If you need us, say the word!" Alice shouted. "We don't need any more casualties today!"

"I have this, I'm gonna show my favorite technique! Rose Typhoon!" Amy called out proudly, pink energy charging around her hammer before she swung it forward.

From the moment her hammer swung all the way around, a gargantuan dome like energy wave of magenta energy ripped across the area, easily overtaking the Berserker. As the destruction ripped across the room, carrying even the large Berserker with it before it slammed into the wall, it let out one last shriek before the dome exploded, sending pink winds everywhere. The other three heroes were nothing short of impressed, looking in awe as the Berserker dissolved into streams of black and white particles. Amy simply smiled at her awestruck friends, walking across the room and into the dark staircase that led to the next area.

"She was incredible, actually. When did she get so good?" Knuckles asked Sonic.

"I really don't know. It's really hot though, I gotta say," Sonic grinned, racing after her with Knuckles and Alice not far behind.

* * *

**Location: Ivory City**

**World's Key Plan: 3 hours**

"Shock Piercer!"

The mountainous ground of the outskirts of the island was suddenly uprooted, dust billowing up from it. Lance and Vector looked at the hole as Cyrus, Tails, Espio, and Cream emerged from it, the chameleon finally awake. All of them looked exhausted, even the elder fox as they took a breather on the mountainside. The city below was still in chaos, the struggle between the Hero Army, Ivory City civilians, Ragnarok Beasts, and GUN tearing apart everything. Four a moment the six looked in awe, unable to believe that it could get so far out of hand.

"So much destruction...I can't believe Nebula would allow it to go so far," Cream said.

"Nebula is delusional, outdated," Lance sneered. "His progress is pushing us back to the pathetic, primitive values he once knew. They just don't work anymore."

"I can't disagree with that," Vector said. "Me and Lance here kind of became buddies down there. We blew that place sky high!"

"That's great, but we had to clamor our way out of the destruction and then through the tunnel network under the city all the way out here. Not cool," Tails said.

"Well at least Mintra is finished," Espio said. "Tails, you should use your long range chaos energy tracker."

"I will," Tails said, holding out his Energy Launcher and inputting a series of codes. "Alright, Nightmare's signature is gone, along with Mintra's. Sonic's team isn't far from the top at all, maybe another half hour. And I think Shadow and Rouge aren't too far behind them."

"Looks like they'll make it in time. Is your communications with the heroes still intact?" Cyrus asked.

"Yeah, but they've been sticking to the plan so I don't have to interfere," Tails stated. "But there's a problem...I don't sense Gemini's."

"What could that mean?" Vector asked.

"It could only mean one thing, because he doesn't know how to hide his signature," Tails told them sadly. "He's dead."

"You can share in his misery," Cyrus said cryptically as Lance suddenly pulled out his Uzis and aimed them at Cream, Espio, and Vector. "Move and I'll blow your brains out. I don't plan to leave any variables in your hands. I learned that from last time."

And before Tails could do anything, the gray fox had a Glock pressed to his temple, loaded and ready to fire.

* * *

**Location: Ivory Chamber**

**World's Key Plan: 2 hours, 56 minutes**

The four heroes emerged from the staircase, finding themselves within a room that would be all too familiar to any of the Ragnarok members, though a mystery to the rest. Strong fuchsia light from the sky flowed through the glass roof of the room, giving it a mysterious light. The long room had tall black spires at the sides, while white swirling shapes carved signs into the floor. The room's walls also had white lines going through them, illuminating the area even more. This was the throne room where Nebula had sat in many times, issuing orders to his Ragnarok agents.

"This room...it's beautiful," Amy exclaimed. "It almost makes this place seem a little less bad."

"At least we could say the baddest dude on the planet right now knew his interior decor," Sonic chuckled as they walked through the room. He looked up at the throne waiting on the other end of the room that stretched a good way up to the glass roof, where a figure was waiting. "I was wondering when you would pay us some attention."

"You're becoming a huge thorn in my side, Sonic the Hedgehog," Nebula said. This body of his had the same crimson ringed eyes, purple markings, and orange exterior, though he took the form of a lizard with purple rings around his eyes, no hair, and his skin was rock hard. He wore the same unique Ragnarok coat that he always did, though with the buckles undone to reveal his chest. "It is as if you and I were meant to be adversaries all along."

"Well if you didn't try to mess with this world, then that wouldn't have to happen," Sonic stated. "I thought you were at the top of the tower."

"I am. My ability allows to be in many places at once," Nebula replied, before pointing at the ground. The hedgehog followed his gaze the see Aersus lying there, his chest also blown away and lying in a drying pool of blood. His golden blades laid at his sides, stained in fading crimson. "My agent was somehow spurred on by Gemini's words, and killed Frost. He then tried to kill me. It was a shame he had to die in such a way, instead of by following Ragnarok."

"Gemini's dead now. Your puppy Nightmare just couldn't be put down without finishing the job," Knuckles barked angrily.

"He was always very thorough. It's a shame that he died though. He was troubled, but really wanted to cleanse himself," Nebula sighed. "I have already mourned for him, however. I could feel the energies from Gemini's fight with Nightmare, and it was something to behold. But it doesn't matter. Gemini was a traitor, and he died appropriately. And you will be next."

"I don't think so," Sonic detested. "I can take you, big shot. I'll do it for Gemini."

"Then I use my Resurrect body's abilities against you in the name of Nightmare Nexus the Coyote," Resurrect Nebula vowed, leaping down from the throne before slapping his palms together. "I have an interesting challenge for you heroes. Let's see how you fare against it."

And then the moment he said that, a massive orange coffin with purple swirls running over it rose magically from a purple portal in the ground. For a moment the ominous coffin lay still, but then its top fell off and the figure Frost the Cat emerged from it, being exactly the same save for the empty gray of his formerly deep yellow irises. Resurrect Nebula laughed and then quickly slammed his palm into Frost's back, causing an infection of deep purple to spread through his fur. Then his eyes became a bright purple, and he glared at the heroes.

"Farewell. Maybe I'll see you at the top...maybe," Nebula said before leaping through a portal of his own, leaving them with Frost.

"We should just run past him. He's just trying to distract us from reaching the top in time," Alice said.

"But we can't leave this cat behind. He'll chase us around and we don't need anything us working against us later," Sonic countered. "We can't avoid it forever."

"I get it," Knuckles realized, much to the shock of the other heroes. "That body was able to resurrect others, right? So Nebula has been reviving people, and then killing them again, and then using their bodies. That way, he could use the bodies of anyone in the world, as long as he has access to that body."

"I'll send a transmission to Tails to let him know," Sonic said. "Knuckles, you wanna take this?"

"Yeah. He knows that he'll have to one at a time or he won't win against two power fighters and the last Chosen," Knuckles said, stepping forward as Frost charged, waves of ice forming a pathway for him to skate across for extra speed. "Fire Punch!"

The cat held out his hands, summoning Ice Reflectors around his forearms as the echidna punched forward multiple times letting loose blasts of hot flames. The cat simply held out his hands out, deflecting the flames as he rushed for his guardian opponent. The echidna simply glared at the cat and shot forward with a Rushing Fist, splitting the air with his red aura as he launched for the Ragnarok agent. Frost flipped acrobatically over Knuckles, but he was still clipped at his side, causing him to spin through the air uncontrollably before he landed on one of the spires lining the room's sides.

"Fire Punch!" Knuckles shouted, aiming another burst of fire for the feline.

The undead cat simply climbed up the spire at a quick pace, avoiding the burst of flame before he finally reached the top. Knuckles rushed towards the pillar, summoning trails of blue sparks before he shot a large bolt of lightning at the pillar. The Thunder Arrow crashed against the side of the spire before tunneling all the way through it, forcing the cat to flip through the air towards another pillar. The echidna quickly shot another Thunder Arrow with his other hand, but the cat simply leaped through the air again, the lightning projectile slamming against the side of the room's wall and punching a well sized crater into it.

"You may be agile, but that won't save you forever!" Knuckles promised, running across the room to intercept the cat.

"..." was all the cat replied, suddenly leaping off of the pillar to avoid a Fire Punch and latching onto the wall. "Sub-Zero Blast."

The speck of cyan at the tip of the cat's finger suddenly unleashed a powerful laser of cold sky blue energy which froze everything it touched in a matter of seconds. The echidna quickly ducked as the laser swept over him before he leaped up into the air and glided across the room, avoiding the infection of ice as it spread across the room. Finally it stopped, and the echidna stopped gliding, but at that moment multiple Ice Spikes shot through the air due to the cat leaping across the room, the icy projectiles crashing into the echidna's arm.

The echidna hissed, landing on the ground as the ice then expanded into a massive shape, anchoring the scarlet furred echidna to the ground. Then the cat leaped through the air, twirling around multiple times before kicking Knuckles in the stomach. The echidna groaned in pain, blood falling from his mouth as Frost then pushed off and held his index finger to Knuckles' stomach, charging up another Sub-Zero Blast. The guardian looked into Frost's eyes as the speck grew to a larger size, and he knew that the attack would freeze him to death almost instantly.

"No! Knuckles!" Amy shouted, getting ready to interfere.

"No, I have this," Knuckles grinned, breaking through the ice effortlessly and punching Frost's arm away before he held his palm on Frost's chest. "See, Nebula's revived bodies don't really have a soul until he infects them. His control over Frost just through the body's ability just controls his basic actions, like a motor. But this isn't Frost. It can't think like him, and so it's just been attacking me. Grand Thunder Arrow!"

And with that said a powerful explosion of lightning sent bolts flying in every direction before Frost was tossed across the area, smashing into a wall with such force that it cracked multiple bones in his body and burnt off the markings on his back, causing him to fall apart into gray ashes. The echidna wiped the rest of the ice off of him as the other heroes came to his side, making sure he was alright while the sky above became a bit brighter, taking on an orange tinge.

"You good?" Sonic asked. "Boy, my knucklehead isn't so blunt anymore, is he?"

"You're such a dick, and I'm fine," Knuckles retorted.

"The sky is a lot brighter now," Amy realized. "That means we don't have much time left before Nebula unleashes his plan. We've already been sidetracked enough."

"Once we get up there, all that will be left is Nebula and Typhoon though. All of the other agents have been taken care of," Alice informed optimistically.

"Then let's go!" Sonic said as a slot in the throne opened, revealing another staircase which the heroes then journeyed into.

* * *

**Location: Sacred Canopy**

**World's Key Plan: 2 hours, 24 minutes**

In a minute the heroes dashed up the long staircase that seemed to stretch into the sky, before they reached an area where a small white circular platform was. Six black walkways stretched out towards large black towers that extended from the tower, stretching even higher up into the sky while a long and tall structure with a platform like bottom and top laid right on top of them. The blue hedgehog looked over the walkway and saw that a flock of Death Wyverns were circling the area right below the Sacred Canopy-if they approached form the exterior, they would've been blown out of the sky. A thin violet barrier extended out from right below the walkways, creating the chaos field that prevented them from using Chaos Control through it.

"Guys, I sense Nebula's energy. He's right on top of us," Knuckles reported.

"I noticed that too," Sonic added. "I think all of these tower elevators go the same place. Let's just pick one, and get ready. Something crazy is going on up there."

And then they walked across one of the long walkways, entering the small circular elevator. The blue platform rose slowly through the black shaft, the heroes trading looks as the tension rose between them. It finally hit them that in mere moments they would be staring destiny in the face, and then there would be no turning back. The fights against Eggman, GUN, Metal, Black Doom, Dark Gaia, and so many others lead up to this moment, where the fate of the world would finally be decided. Sonic closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, knowing that in his dying breath both Mach and Chaos placed their hope in him.

He couldn't fail them.

Finally the elevator stopped and the heroes walked across the black roof of the tower before looking over it at the roof of the main one not far below. The Ivory Tower's roof was a pure white with black outlining the abstract patterns within it, which Knuckles realized were the same writings in the Mystic Ruins. Swirling black railings guarded those on the roof from falling thousands and thousands of feet to their deaths, and the other five towers evenly circled the roof, guarding it slightly from the high winds of the sky that seemed to be just above them.

On the roof was a massive device. The mysterious chaos disturbance machines sat within its first level, which was a clear ring. Massive spider leg like arcs shot up from the main platform of the machine, summoning a field of purple energy that protected what was inside. Then on top of the platforms and ring was a long barrel, which appeared to be a massive cannon, but the needle like tip showed it served another purpose. Twelve pedestals also rose around the long barrel, holding the cyan and white Chaos Emeralds, along with the jade, violet, and azure Chaos Cores.

Next to the machine was Typhoon, who simply stared up at them, while Nebula looked up at Sonic in his Combat form. Crimson rings met jade eyes, and in that moment they knew what would happen here would decide everything, whether they wanted it to or not. Typhoon said nothing, showing no emotion as she looked upon the heroes, though her intentions were clear. Nebula's coat flapped in the air as he undid the buckles, revealing the orange fur beneath. Sonic simply stared at him, gentle blue winds circling his body as the two assessed each other.

"It's about time you showed up, Sonic the Hedgehog," Nebula said, raising his hands. "Now, the end can finally begin!"

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And we're left with a cliffhanging conclusion here! The heroes have reached Nebula with a little over 2 hours to spare, but what does Nebula have for them up there? What will Cyrus plan to do now that he has the commander of the Hero Army in serious danger? Can Sonic finally face his destiny and defeat Nebula before the World's Key Plan is unraveled? Hang tight for the next chapter, Black Days Begin, before we go into this arc's finale, Eye of the Storm, and please drop a review by!


	53. Black Days Begin

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 53: Black Days Begin

**Location: Sacred Canopy**

**World's Key Plan: 2 hours, 18 minutes**

"What is this, Nebula?" Sonic asked, him and the other heroes leaping down onto the roof of the main Ivory Tower. "What are you planning?"

"Telling you would take away a good portion of the fun," Nebula explained, lowering his hands as he walked slowly towards Sonic. "If you must know however, the primary of my plan is to become complete, where I can then end this world."

And that's when Sonic noticed it. At the very tip of the needle was an unusual phenomenon hovering in the air. The glow of the sphere of energy was unusually bright, hiding most of what was inside its depths. However, the shadow of a figure floated within there. Most of it was still not discernible but it appeared to be in some sort of slumber, and its yellow eyes were still bright. To Sonic, those eyes would normally be something calm and warming, but something twisted it into the emotions of revenge, malice, and hatred-even in a dormant form, they still shook the last Chosen to his core.

"Your explanation was weak, but it won't matter because I'm gonna kick your ass," Sonic said. "Besides, I still have a couple of hours to do it, don't I?"

"There's no guarantee of that Xavnu," Nebula smirked.

"I'm not Xavnu, I'm Sonic. That's why we're here in the first place. If you would've have just gotten over what happened, we wouldn't be here. Just because the world has a little more evil than you intended it to, doesn't mean you get to change the good too," Sonic retorted.

"Excuse me? And how would you know?" Nebula yelled slightly, causing the heroes to jump. "You don't know anything. You're just a tool, being used by those who don't have to right to decide this world's fate. I am the one who now has the right to choose. I have survived 6,000 years as a god as of today, and so I know."

"I don't believe you do. You just think so," Sonic countered. "There's nothing in this world that could justify the killing of billions of people, just so that you can make this world your perfect little doll house. Nothing like that exists and you know it."

"Really? Well, I'll show you that it will, when my World's Key Plan comes to fruition, and you're dying," Nebula threatened.

"That's a big threat to make. Let's see you back it up!" Sonic said, suddenly shooting forward with his fist reeled back.

Combat Nebula simply reeled back his own fist before meeting Sonic's fist, the impact sending waves of red and blue in every direction. The two then pushed off of each other, but right as Nebula landed he shot off the ground and spun around with a powerful kick imbued with compact chaos energy. The hedgehog side stepped his rotating kick, only to be smacked across the face with his other leg. Sonic staggered back as Nebula landed and attempted to unleash a flurry of rapid punches that blurred through the air, only for Sonic to direct his punches away with the side of his hand.

"You've improved since the last time we encountered each other in battle, I must admit. You'll prove to be an interesting challenge," Nebula admitted.

"Shut up and fight. Sonic Wind!" Sonic shouted, holding out his hand and firing off gusts of blue wind at the Nebula body.

Nebula quickly smashed his steel gloved fist into the ground as the metal uprooted and a massive column of spiraling red energy shot up into the sky, forming a protective zone in between the two. Sonic launched directly at the plume of crimson, but at the last moment suddenly leaned onto his side, drifting in a large curve around the plume as he fired another Sonic Wind at Nebula from the other side, who simply kicked off high into the air as the gusts of cyan rolled along the ground. Sonic zipped along the roof, leaped onto the side of one of the six smaller towers, and raced up the side before kicking off towards Nebula.

"Take this!" Sonic said, reeling back his fist and slamming Nebula across the face, causing him to fall back through the air before him and Sonic both landed softly, staring each other down. "I already get that body. It has superhuman physical prowess from compacting its energy, which it can also release in bursts."

"Quick deducing, I concede," Nebula said. "But you know, I have knowledge of your abilities, and you have little of mine."

"I don't think it matters. I knew little of your Mech body, but I pounded it into the ground without much trouble. And this body of yours seems only a little stronger," Sonic denied.

"True, but no one ever said I had to play fair," Nebula smirked.

Sonic wondered what he meant, but in instants the wind picked up a powerful cyclone formed around Sonic, shielding him from the outside world. Before he could do much Typhoon stomped her foot into the ground, causing Sonic to fly up into the epicenter of the windy destruction. The blue anthro managed to right himself he floated helplessly in the air, but in that instant Nebula rushed through the storm, aided by Typhoon's winds as he slammed Sonic in the chest. The blue hedgehog was tossed into the cyclone's sides, causing to spin him around before shooting him across the roof.

Sonic quickly tried to regain an advantage but Nebula was suddenly over him, grabbing him by the legs before flipping over multiple times and slamming him into the ground at full speed. The hedgehog groaned as he formed a small crater, but as Nebula then dived down at him he raised his legs and kicked Nebula across the face before smashing a Sonic Wind into him, tossing him back. The two got to their feet, and raised their fists to attack again, but then they stopped as the world seemed to shake all at once.

"What's going on?" Sonic asked.

"It's simple. Phase One of my plan is about to start," Nebula stated, holding his hands out wide.

And in that instant massive portals not unlike the ones the Ragnarok agent used but a hundred times bigger appeared in the everywhere over the island, as well as over the ocean beyond on the skyline. Sonic had a feeling that the same thing was happening all over the world, as he could feel it in the chaos disturbances that seemed to be everywhere on this strange day. The portals hovered in the air as the fighting stopped for just a moment, and then a massive groan echoed throughout the Ivory City, and then the figures emerged slowly from the portals.

The Ragnarok Beasts were gigantic, about the size of one of the Air Fleets that GUN used to have. In a strange way they appeared to have parts of them that resembled whales or giant fish, but their massive angelic wings in the place of fins proved that wrong. They had narrow violet eyes, and what appeared to be massive black storage pods lining their sides. The giant beasts screeched out again as they fired massive fuchsia beams upon their enemies and unleashed waves and waves of Ragnarok Beasts of all kinds from their pods and portals, and that was when the heroes realized that they had many more enemies to fight then they thought.

"You thought it would start here," Nebula explained. "But I plan to raise the stakes a little higher. Now the whole world will depend on you much sooner than you thought. I don't care about their lives, but you do."

"Sonic...we have a problem..." Tails said over the communicator in Sonic's ear. "I know you see them too at the top. I'm going to send the Tempests after them."

"Sounds like a plan," Sonic said. "But you sound nervous. Is someone else there?"

"Yeah...it's Cyrus!-" Tails began before he was suddenly cut off.

"Tails! Tails! What happened? Are you there?" Sonic wondered.

"The number one rule of battle is to never become unaware of your enemy."

Sonic turned around just as nebula punched him across the face, the aura of a dark crimson tiger around his fist. The apparition exploded as it smashed into Sonic, tossing him through the railing at the edge of the roof. As the debris fell to the ground far below the blue hedgehog dangled at the edge, Nebula standing menacingly over him as the winds howled. Amy, Knuckles, and Alice tried to approach but Typhoon suddenly stood in the way, and the three knew they didn't have a chance of eliminating her in time.

"Playing dirty, huh?" Sonic spat.

"Normally I wouldn't. But you don't understand. This is all I have left," Nebula stated, raising another fist.

"It seems to me that you're just lost, betrayed, and desperate," Sonic said. "You can stop this all now. You don't have to end up like the rest of the gods."

"And let the world rot on it's own, full of evil? I don't think so. Now die, so I can fulfill my ambitions!" Nebula demanded.

"Chaos Control!"

Suddenly ebony and crimson flashed as Nebula was knocked up into the air. Shadow quickly landed and then shot up at Nebula, hitting him with a barrage of kicks before he grabbed hold of him and summoned waves of red energy which seemed to light his quills is a drowning crimson. Even the ultimate life form's eyes flashed red before he yelled out, unleashing his Chaos Blast attack. The spheric shock wave radiated out from the Shadow, covering the area.

When the light faded, Nebula was covered in burns and bruises, but the black hedgehog then smashed him across the face with a strong kick, tossing the Lord of Ragnarok over the side and down to the city more than two miles down below. Shadow landed next to Sonic, pulling him up without saying a word and looking over the edge as Combat Nebula plummeted to his death, still staring up with hate in his crimson eyes

"Smooth move," Shadow criticized, glaring at his comrade. "If I hadn't arrived in time, you would be broken and dead down there. Some Chosen you are!"

"Thank you Shadow, nice to see you too," Sonic said sarcastically. "That ended a lot sooner than I thought."

"You're going to pay for that with your lives," Typhoon said, turning towards Sonic.

"And where's your proof of that?" Rouge asked, leaping down onto the roof as well. "He looks dead enough to me."

"Unfortunately for you, that was my weakest body and you needed help to defeat it, which states something about our oncoming battle," Nebula said, his body with the large butterfly wings of energy emerging from a portal. "This is one of my strongest."

"Energy wings?" Sonic laughed. "That's it?"

"Now is not the time to laugh, idiot," Shadow groaned, smacking him in the back of the head. "There's more to this body than meets the eye. It seems to have much higher energy readings than the other ones, that's for sure."

"My collection of this warrior has an interesting story about it. Xavnu would know within your mind, after all. I catch on quick," Nebula said to Sonic's shock. "But that's not the point. You're on two time limits now. The first is when the next phase of my plan is ready, which is the focal point of the World's Key Plan, and when all of the people of this world are eradicated by my forces."

"This is supposed to be for the good of the world?" Shadow scoffed. "The rabbit there tried to convince me of that back when Eggman was attacking Station Square, but I didn't believe her for a second and with good reason."

"Why are you in this, Shadow Robotnik the Hedgehog, as they call you by these days?" Nebula wondered. "After all this world has put you through, why are you defending it?"

"I ask myself the same thing sometimes, and it boils down to these people here, who I protect with my life, even if they are idiots. And my promise to someone was dear to me. I won't break it even if the face of death," Shadow stated.

"Short sighted, but the persistence is admirable," Nebula admitted, suddenly raising his hand as a large portal opened up into the air. "I assume you would not want to battle here, as it may pose risk to others. I have the perfect location, where I will wait for you. Until then, prepare yourself."

The God of Rebirth gave Sonic one last glance before he leaped into the portal, which remained open behind him as the chao raged on in Ivory City, now aided by the Leviathans. Shadow and Rouge looked at the others before they turned to face Typhoon, who took a low battle stance as powerful winds circled her protectively. Sonic gave a nod to the two as he turned towards the portal. He breathed in deeply, Knuckles, Amy, and Alice behind him as he recalled all of the sacrifices and moments that brought him to this point.

"_Oh no..."_

_The Mineral Spear impaled straight through his body, causing a spring of crimson liquid to spill onto the sand. Mighty's dark brown eyes were now devoid of the spark of life, the armadillo having a faint smile as he stared up into the emerging stars of the twilight. The head of the spear was far in front of his chest with body of the spear going through his heart, the organ performing its function even though it only served to pump more blood out of him._

"_Did I really become a hero?" Mighty asked, lifting up his hand slowly. "Did I change?"_

"_Stop moving!" Amy shrieked, instantly using her Heart Healing. "You can still survive if I lower your heart rate."_

"_It's over for me," Mighty assured, turning towards Sonic. "I ran away from being a hero by traveling. I still enjoyed, but it wasn't my dream. I just had a fear of hurting people when it was necessary."_

"_You did overcome your fear," Sonic said, tears pouring down his face as his voice quivered. "You became a great hero. I don't think most could have done better."_

"_That's nice to know," Mighty said slowly. "At least now...I can go...in peace..."_

"_This can't be happening," Luxi said, still barely fighting off the approaching creatures with waves of bladed weapons. "I knew there were bound to be deaths, I just didn't know it would be like this, and so soon..."_

"_Tell Ray he was the great friend a guy could have and it was awesome traveling with him. Tell him to try and go on without me. I know he'll be great," Mighty said. "Thank all of you."_

_And in that moment he fell silent and his hand dropped. Mighty the Armadillo was no more._

"_Oh my god," Amy said, bursting into tears. "No..."_

"I'll miss you Mighty. You were a great hero."

"_Crap," the bear chuckled as the helmet formed back on and the eyes of the Egg Sky Reaper flashed purple. "Eggman's going to kill me now for betraying him. I'll never get out of this in time."_

"_That's horrible!" Amy said, Sonic just staring in shock at the Doctor's turnaround._

"_Will you do me a favor Knuckles, and let us have one more attack against each other so I can remember those times I fought you in the old Team Chaotix with Bean and Fang by my side?" Bark asked, Knuckles nodding as he collected high amounts of energy into his fist. "Give it all you have."_

_And then both fighters launched forward with Knuckles' fist reeled back and Bark's scythe reeled back before they clashed in the final attack. Time seemed to stand still as the eyes of the Egg Sky Reaper turned red and their attacks made contact, signifying the end for Bark._

_"Deep Impact!"_

_"Glacial Torrent!"_

_The rushing explosions and rings of impact below back through the ai away from the massive shapes of ice that flowed out of the attack, both attacks equaling out as they destroyed the machinery and Eggman's robots all around them. Finally the attacks stopped, leaving a massive crater in their wake with embers falling from the sky and a massive iceberg flowing back. Bark lied in the middle of the crater, bloody and motionless with the Egg Sky Reaper parts lying all around him. On the other side Knuckles fell to the ground, stained with blood and ice coating his fur. Sonic came to his side and picked him up, the echidna panting with exhaustion._

"I would like to think you changed in the end, too. You always had an honor the others didn't, and I always liked that about you."

_Then the attack was fired. The blue hedgehog thrust his attack forward but then suddenly something else was between Sonic and the attack, something alive. The attack made an impact that seemed to shake the ship and rock the world, and as Ray fell, the drill halfway inside his chest, Sonic's world suddenly slowed to a crawl._

"_No...not you, too."_

"_I'm sorry, but I knew you would be in trouble and I just let them go on ahead of me. I couldn't leave you behind like that," Ray apologized, falling in Sonic's arms. "I absorbed the energy somehow, but I couldn't block the actual drill."_

"_It's okay," Sonic said, tears falling down his face, "you did your best. But...why?"_

"_Don't worry about me," Ray assured. "I just...knew this is what I was supposed to do. Besides, I don't think I could've went on without Mighty, and maybe I was right about that. But I know...you guys will do big things...I have my peace now..."_

_And then the life faded from Ray's eyes. Sonic closed them before setting him aside, but Eggman chose no to wait. The Doctor swiped out with the Drill Sword, unleashing a violent Static Wind that tossed Ray's body across the roof and Sonic's body into a massive fin like shape sticking up from the roof-the hedgehog felt the wind leave his lungs. As he fell the Egg Dragoon Mk II approached slowly, Eggman taking the sweet road to his victory._

"_Looks like this is your end, Sonic! What Ray did doesn't change anything!" Eggman exclaimed, charging up his Drill Sword. "I just hit the countdown! You have 15 seconds before your world goes to hell!"_

Don't give up yet, Sonic. You've got a lot to do and me, Bark, Bean, and Ray don't want you to die now and leave this world in vain.

Mighty?_ Sonic questioned, but all the same nodded and took in the foreign energies. In that instant a golden aura flared up around him, causing his fur to stand on end and his eyes to turn into a deep crimson color. The blue hedgehog concentrated and built up a normal Sonic Storm, but this one was then suddenly tripled in size and turned completely golden._

"_Super Sonic Wind!"_

"I'll never forget you Ray, and what you did for me."

"_Will you be okay?" Amy asked slowly._

_The fox simply shook his head._

"_I...I think the opposite reaction is turning me into a simple virus," the fox explained. "I'm becoming like Xi, except my physical form will be pushed into the Global Network too."_

"_No! You're my bro! We've gone on adventures together always! We're so different, but we were always the best of friends! What will I do without you by my side?" Sonic wondered sadly._

"_You will move on," Tails told him. "Just don't forget about me...okay? Who knows, maybe eventually I'll be able to return."_

"_I'll wait for the day. Matter in fact, if I find a way I'll go in and get you out myself," Sonic promised, smiling as tears streaked down his face. "Miss you for now, dude."_

"_I'll miss you too, Sonic. I promise I'll come back, no matter what," the fox smiled, his tears suddenly disintegrating in waves of orange light._

"Miss you buddy...I'll be back soon," Sonic said.

"_I will always be in you now, Tikal...but I'll still miss you too," Chaos promised as she reluctantly stepped through the portal with Angel and Dark at her side, feeling true tangibility for the first time in thousands of years. The portal closed behind her, leaving the God of Destruction alone with the two Nebulas._

"_Clever," Chakram Nebula admitted. "I will not have the strength to go after her or even track her."_

"_I had hoped to stop Ragnarok here brother, but I am still okay," Chaos said._

"_That is a shame," Combat Nebula said. "You will now have to place all of your hope in that blue hedgehog, now won't you?"_

"_Yes...yes, I will," Chaos said. "I know what your secret is now, but I suppose there's nothing I can do in the face of the God of Rebirth. And you're right...I will place my hope in him, like you, me, and the others should have done with the Chosen oh so long ago."_

"_It is futile, but I suppose I cannot change you now," Combat Nebula sighed, standing in front of him. "It will be short, my friend. I will mourn you, trust me."_

"_I'm ready," Chaos said, placing his mind in another place, with him and Tikal peacefully at the shrine with the chao prancing around happily, in a perfect peace._

_And as his mind was destroyed, the God of Destruction couldn't feel it, his mind becoming white as he was taken to a different place, a better place, putting all of his hope in that blue hedgehog...hoping he would make things different like he had so many times before despite much larger odds. Even as Nebula stood over Chaos' destroyed body, looking up into the clearing sky as he mourned his former friend, he couldn't even begin to understand that power of hope, and Chaos knew that even from the beginning._

"You placed your hope in me Chaos, and I won't fail you!" Sonic promised.

_"I did too. It's made me realize something Alice, that I have to tell you," Gemini said._

_"Yes? What is it?" she wondered._

_"Die!"_

_Alice turned around in horror, just as the purple and black energy came together and formed into the bloody and battered body of Nightmare. The coyote was on the brink of death, moving by mere will as he held the barrel of his gun against Alice's back and pulled the trigger. There was a flash of movement, the splatter of blood, the boom of a gunshot, and the flashes of purple and black. The fox screamed out, and Gemini let out a small smile as Nightmare finally hit the ground, no longer breathing._

_"I wanted to tell you...that I love you..."_

_Gemini smiled ever so slightly with those last words, smoke and vapors billowing from the massive hole where his chest once was. And then the light from his eyes faded, and he fell into Alice's arms, starting up at the sky with empty, pale yellow eyes. Amy began to cry, and suddenly Nightmare's defeat was no longer so great. Sonic could barely react, trying to deny what occurred in front of his very eyes, despite the fact they were all stained with his blood._

_Gemini Rose the Hedgehog was dead._

"I'll do this for you buddy. You were the greatest, and I think we were pretty good friends by the end of this all," Sonic vowed. "Let's go guys, we have a world to save."

Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, and Alice with Gemini's body then leaped through the portal as it vanished behind them. Rouge flew up into the air as the Death Wyverns below ascended to attack them. Typhoon then slammed the ground with her foot, causing their doomsday machine to descend into the Ivory Tower where a slot moved out to cover the roof. With that Shadow launched at the rabbit in blazes of crimson chaos energy, who summoned massive whirlwinds to her arms in response.

The titanic battle had begun.

* * *

**Location: Angel Island**

**World's Key Plan: 1 hour, 53 minutes**

"Guys, why are we back here on Angel Island?" Amy asked.

And sure enough, they were. The orange tinted sky showed that on the island it was much closer to dawn that the night that covered the Ivory City. Though it was unusual to the others, Sonic and Knuckles knew why Nebula chose this place. It was probably one of the only places in the world where no one was, and it was the place where Nebula first attacked in the God War so long ago. For him, it was closure. The workshop could be seen at the eastern edge of the island, and the ruins of the Knuckles Clan could be seen in between the mountain ranges, large valleys, and large trees that covered the southern part of the island.

"I can feel Nebula up ahead. He's stronger than ever," Knuckles said. "I have the Master Emerald and Alice has the red, yellow, cerulean, purple emeralds along with the red and white cores. Shadow has the green, but we have the rest to power you up with if needed."

"Yeah, I can keep them safe. Knuckles can stay on standby, and Amy could help me protect the emeralds, cores, and Gemini's body. That way you get Nebula to yourself, unless he starts kicking your ass," Alice added.

"Yeah, I don't think that will happen," Sonic smirked.

"Be careful Sonic. I don't know what I would do if I lost you too," Amy said, embracing him one last time as they shared a passionate kiss.

"Same applies to you Ames. And I'll be fine, don't worry," Sonic smiled, giving one last thumbs up.

With that the four raced into the thick of the island's plant life, and towards their destinies.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so there's only one last chapter to the Ragnarok Arc before we go on to the final arc of this story, the End of an Era Arc. With many things answered and Sonic resolved to defeat Nebula once and for all, only a few things remain. Also, I know there many flashbacks you've already seen, but they add to the building up on this final battle.

Will Sonic defeat Nebula before the World's Key Plan comes to fruition? Who is the figure in the blue sphere (Hint: this was answered already in a flashback before this chapter), and why is it hooked up to the machine? What does the machine do? And how will fare against the final and strongest Ragnarok member, Typhoon the Rabbit? Do they have a mysterious connection?

Hang tight for the last chapter of this arc, Eye of the Storm, and drop a review by! Note: this chapter is named after the song "Black Days Begin", by Atreyu. a good metalcore band. Check them out!


	54. Eye of the Storm

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 54: Eye of the Storm

**Location: Sacred Canopy**

**World's Key Plan: 1 hour, 53 minutes**

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow shouted as he charged at Typhoon.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Typhoon said.

The rabbit suddenly stomped her foot and then slapped her hands together, creating a thin blade of wind which sliced through the Chaos Spears effortlessly. Shadow leaped out of the way instantly, spinning around before he fired off a Chaos Lance, the sharp crimson bolt ripping through the air on the way to Typhoon. The rabbit looked at the bolt for just a moment before expelling her arms out in front of her, instantly pulling out a large wave of water from the air which absorbed the Chaos Lance before it was tossed over Shadow.

The black hedgehog stopped his charge and looked in surprise at the volume of water. How on earth did she create so much in a few seconds? But he then regained his composure and clenched his fists, disappearing in a Chaos Control. The lack hedgehog then appeared on the top of the wave, floating with the help of his Air Shoes, but then Typhoon raced across the water at breakneck speeds, wind tunneling behind her as she slammed her knee into Shadow's gut. The black hedgehog gasped for a moment before she pushed him away.

As he flew through the air he attempted to warp away from her and the rushing cascades of water, but before he could she hopped off of the wave as it crashed and slammed Shadow with a powerful kick, driving him into the ground. The ultimate life attempted to get out of the impact but then the Ragnarok rabbit came down, flipping multiple times before she slammed her heel into Shadow's chest. The Black Arms descendant coughed up blood as the rabbit flipped away multiple times, avoiding a barrage of Chaos Spears the crimson striped anthro fired back in response.

"Your reputation of immortality proceeds you. That attack would have incapacitated anyone else quickly," Typhoon stated as Shadow got to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth as waves of crimson surrounded him. "But yet, your ferocity does not meet your reputation, and you had plenty of time to warm up killing the Ragnarok Beasts on the way up here."

"That's true. But you know, I just needed to observe you. Silver was right, you can manipulate both oxygen and hydrogen particles," Shadow stated. "Now, I can put all of my effort into finding the weakness behind such a great power."

"Your deductive strategy meets your reputation," Typhoon admitted, leaping off of the ground as a whirlwind supported her lower body, allowing her to fly even better than a rabbit could with their ears. "But still, I thought one like you would see how our goals will truly benefit the gift of life. If millions of people who have committed evil die so millions of purely good beings can live on, then the goal is rational."

"I don't have to explain myself to you. You're the last Ragnarok member, and with Sonic taking care of Nebula and me killing you, the last threat to this world will be done," Shadow said, determined.

"Bold words. Let's see you back them up then," Typhoon said challengingly, holding out her hands as multiple tornadoes formed, circling her like protective walls of destruction.

"What didn't make you think I could get past? Chaos Control!" Shadow bellowed, vanishing in a flash of blue.

"That's not the objective," Typhoon said, pulling her arms together.

In that instant, the whirlwinds merged into one, wrapping protectively around the rabbit. The black hedgehog reappeared in the center of the tornado, being pounded by wild winds which tore at him from all sides. When the barrage of wind finally stopped the rabbit leaped up through the air, shooting for Shadow who was completely helpless. When he opened his eyes while Typhoon rocketed at him, dark intent in her eyes, he simply warped away again as she unleashed a barrage of shredding spheres of wind to where he once was.

"Come out, ultimate life form," the rabbit demanded.

"Already arranged! Chaos Nightmare!"

The rabbit turned around just as Shadow launched at her, massive contained bursts of crimson energy concentrating around his fists as he swung around for her. The rabbit spun around, kicking off of Shadow's arm to push away, only for him to warp again. Typhoon floated in the air for a moment before a flash of blue appeared above her. The rabbit angled her head upwards, blowing out a large wave of pressurized air towards Shadow. The ebony furred anthro simply held out his Chaos Nightmare ahead of him, splitting through the vacuumed air to Typhoon's shock-he was truly the ultimate life form.

The Ragnarok agent stopped her attack and attempted to dodge out of the way but Shadow quickly boosted down at her, his Air Shoes flaring out behind him. Without any hesitation and crimson determination in his eyes the Black Arms descendant smashed both of the concentrated bursts into Typhoon, unleashing a powerful concussive force of red energy which tossed Typhoon into the roof of the Azure Tower at high velocities, forming a crater.

"It's funny," Shadow said as he landed on the roof, looking as Typhoon began to rise, "I feel like I know you from somewhere."

"You are an honorable opponent. Not many are able to challenge my power. But after all, I have barely revealed my abilities to you," Typhoon stated, holding out her palms as multiple spheres of water materialized from the air's moisture. "Now, you will get to witness the abilities of my first technique. Susanoo."

Shadow looked in shock as the countless orbs of concentrated water unleashed powerful seeking jets which spiraled towards the ultimate life form at high speeds. The black furred anthro hopped out of the way-he could feel the loose droplets splash against his fur and the dust that the pressure uprooted. As he landed, he warped again as two more jets smashed into the roof, uprooting multiple times and ripping through the air. The hedgehog appeared again high up into the air, where a few more jets shot at him, though he quickly used his Air Shoes to propel himself out of the way.

_She's figured it out. When I use Chaos Control to warp, my energy shows up where I was and where I'm going. One in tune enough with chaos energy can sense this and track me, _Shadow thought to himself, flying out of the way of another few jets. _But how is she this good? There's something about her. It's not the lack of emotion, it's the way she is. She's not normal._

"You should be more aware," Typhoon remarked, almost nonchalantly, looking Shadow in the eye as she shot her hands out.

The black hedgehog turned around as he flew past another few jets, and found three jets spiraling tightly towards him in a violent helix. The former GUN agent stared in shock before the massive jet smashed into him, unleashing a burst of water which knocked Shadow out of the sky and onto one of the six minor towers. As he got up, trying to regain his strength the other jets smashed into him over and over again, pounding him in bursts of water which never ceased. Typhoon finally stopped as a cloud of dust rose from the center of impact, holding the jets of water steady as the chaos settled.

"You are truly much weaker than expected," Typhoon said, lowering her hands as all of the jets attacked at once, "truly disappointing."

"Chaos Blast!" Shadow shouted.

Suddenly the jets were repelled by a powerful shock wave of energy which rippled out from the crimson lit body of Shadow, sending droplets of water in all directions. Typhoon leaped back from the edge of the shock wave, dropping her hands to release her Susanoo technique as the energy blast faded, revealing the steam rolling off of Shadow. The black hedgehog panted slightly before he looked at Typhoon, who remained still, her cloak flapping in the wind as she stared at her opponent.

"There's something familiar about you. I'm just trying to figure out what it is," Shadow said.

"We're going to need more space. The elevations of the other towers aren't fair to you, after all," Typhoon said, snapping her fingers. Shadow looked at her in shock as the towers slid slowly down to the side of the main tower, causing the other roofs to become level with the main one.

"You're avoiding my observation. I know how people work. If you didn't know me, you would have said so. The only reason why you won't tell me is because you don't want me to know for some reason," Shadow stated.

"And if I did? That's not the point. I need you dead as you are a threat to Nebula and you need me dead so you can destroy the last remnants of Ragnarok. That's what matters," Typhoon replied, holding her head back before she unleashed a spray of pressurized air bullets.

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow called out.

The black hedgehog raised his hand, summoning a volley of sharp yellow colored bolts of energy. The two barrage of attacks collided with many impacts, sending yellow energy and winds in every direction. The two were locked in a stalemate, and once they realized neither would win they released their attacks before Shadow kicked off of the tower, leaping onto another one as Typhoon tossed orbs of wind at him. As a few were about to hit him he warped again, the attacks passing through the blue flash harmlessly.

The rabbit spun around in shock as Shadow appeared in a blue flash directly behind her, Chaos Nightmares in each hand. The rabbit quickly summoned a powerful wall of concentrated which attempted to absorb the heavy force of the Chaos Nightmare, but Shadow simply ripped through the defense before he smashed both into Typhoon, who was tossed over the side of the main tower. The black hedgehog thought for just a moment that he was safe, but then the lead Ragnarok agent floated up into the air with a tornado hoisting her up from the waist down.

"A little more aggressive now, I see," Typhoon said, landing on one of the minor towers which Shadow then warped onto. "Let's go!"

Typhoon held up her fists, which were then surrounded by rotating whirls of wind. Shadow simply raced forward, the flares of his Air Shoes scorching the metal beneath him as he shot at his opponent. The rabbit punched the ground, sending a wave of wind at Shadow who simply leaped over it and unleashed a kick for Typhoon's head. The rabbit quickly blocked the kick, grabbed Shadow's leg, and tossed him around before plowing him into the ground. The black hedgehog grunted in pain before he kicked up with his other leg, snapping across Typhoon's face before he wriggled free.

"Tell me who you are, or this will become ten times more painful!" Shadow threatened, rolling to his feet and blocking a fist from Typhoon before he punched her across the face. The Ragnarok agent staggered back, but before she could react Shadow leaped up into the air, outstretching his leg which he then hurled forward with the speed of a rocket thanks to the flames from his Air Shoes.

The Rocket Kick smashed into Typhoon's stomach with a powerful impact, tossing her across the roof like a rag doll. The rabbit coughed up blood as she came to a stop, trying to recover as Shadow rushed for her, red energy charging up in his hand. The rabbit simply hissed, the first sign of authentic emotion she had showed since the beginning of the fight. The black hedgehog looked as she held up both of her hands with her index and middle fingers pointed out, the air shifting at the tips. Then she glared at Shadow, and brought them together.

"Fulgora!" Typhoon bellowed, bringing her hands together which then fired powerful, bright streams of lightning in a powerful torrent at the ultimate life form racing for her. Shadow tried to stop and dodge the attack, but it was simply too late.

Volts of electricity filled the Sacred Canopy as Shadow was tossed high into the air, smashing into the top of the tower all the way at the other end of the ring of smaller towers. A large dust cloud plumed up into the air, disguising everything but a mere outline of Shadow's figure. Typhoon looked with a hint of malice in her normally calm stormy gray eyes as she leaped up into the air, propelling herself in gales of wind before she flipped over multiple times and spun around with a powerful punch, tornado force winds circling it.

"Die, Project Shadow!" Typhoon shouted, her black fur waving about as she swung her fist for Shadow's head.

"Chaos Boost!" Shadow bellowed, the dust beginning to clear from the unbelievable force that was the ultimate life form's released energy.

Shadow's Inhibitor Rings clattered to the ground as waves of red chaos energy blew about, causing Typhoon's white cloak to flap rapidly along with their fur to wave about. The very force of it ripped up the metal around them and tore it to shreds as Shadow grasped on to Typhoon's wrist tighter, causing her to release her attack. The rabbit tried to fight against him, blasting storming winds at him, but his grip did not lessen in the slightest. Crimson light surrounded his fur like a protective veil, and his eyes were a bright red-it was as if she was staring in the face of the devil.

"This is over, now! Chaos Blast!" Shadow roared.

For a moment, as Typhoon realized the destructive potential he was capable of causing, the world seemed to go still, even in the epicenter of the crimson energy. And then the shock wave was unleashed. The crimson light seemed to light the sky and fall upon the world below. The shock wave blew apart the tower they were on and caused part of the other two beside it to fall apart. Nothing else could be seen within the destruction, but in a few seconds Shadow warped to the main tower's roof, his Chaos Boost gone as he put his Inhibitor Rings in his fur.

"You did it," Rouge said, wounds covering her body as she panted. "I never faced so many powerful creatures in my life, but I think we're good."

"No, we're not," Shadow said warily, looking into the remnants of the tower which fell far down into the city.

"Shadow, she couldn't have survived. If anyone was in the center of that impact they would've been torn apart," Rouge argued.

"But she knows me somehow, and not like other people know me. She's familiar. And from what I've guessed, she not just anyone, either," Shadow realized, before he grabbed Rouge and jumped back. In that moment multiple jets of water from the Susanoo technique ripped up the area where they once stood, reducing it to nothing. "I have to figure out who she is."

"Well you were right. She's a tough one. Let me help," Rouge offered.

"No. Numbers are better, but if something goes wrong I need someone with enough fight left in them. You already killed all of the Death Wyverns by yourself. Stay on standby, for my sake," Shadow requested.

"Fine, bossy," Rouge huffed, flying to one of the smaller towers that was relatively undamaged. "Be careful. She seems really weird."

"You're telling me," Shadow said, glaring at Typhoon as she hovered above the battlefield. "Now you know I'm serious. Tell me who you are, or I'll make your death even more painful."

"This is the ruthless ultimate life form I've been hearing about," Typhoon stated. "After all, with all of the rumors, I had to make sure you weren't one of Eggman's clones. And I was proven right when you attacked me that last time. After all, no one could replicate that ferocity. You are a Black Arms descendant."

"How did you know that? That's classified," Shadow stated.

"It's classified only to those not involved," Typhoon hissed. "And I was involved alright. Due to your existence, my chance at life was destroyed, ruined."

"There was only one project around the Black Arms conspiracy with GUN, directed by Professor Gerald Robotnik," Shadow stated. "So you couldn't be involved."

"But there were other projects, you know. The other GUN Arks were removed from orbit years ago, but similar projects to create immortality and super soldiers were being undertaken," Typhoon said. "There were so many things they didn't tell you. You were everyone's puppet, weren't you?"

"Get to the point," Shadow responded, clearly annoyed.

"What you didn't know was that after the Ark Incident, GUN managed to get the leftover blood from the Black Arms on the Ark, and began to use it in Project: GUN Arms, where they take embryos and implant them with Black Arms blood due to the fact that they didn't know how to create an anthro from scratch like Gerald did," Typhoon explained. "The experiments they performed, the trials, the inhumanity...we were tools to them. And when the President found out about the project and told GUN to kill everyone involved, I was the only one who escaped before it was pulled onto Prison Island."

"Impossible...!" Shadow said in shock.

"If Gerald did not violate the laws of humanity, I would be a normal child, away from this tragic existence," Typhoon yelled, tears falling from her face. "Instead I had to be used like a tool, and watch all of my friends die in front of my eyes. But the pain has helped me to understand Nebula's vision, so no one has to go through my pain, or your pain, ever again."

"If you sympathize with my pain, then why are you doing this? Why do you want to kill me so bad?" Shadow asked.

"Because I'll do anything to avoid that pain again. And you're where it all began!" Typhoon bellowed. "Neptune!"

Shadow looked in shock as a small storm cloud formed above the Sacred Canopy, unleashing a drenching downpour. He could easily warp out of the way of Typhoon's attacks, but not when it was coming from every direction at once. Then in that instant, she held out her hand towards him, and closed her fist. The water suddenly merged in a massive maelstrom of movement, pushing Shadow into the center and causing him to sink through its depths. Then she moved her arms downwards, and in that instant a long drill of water with a head of ice dropped from the sky, smashing into the center of impact.

"Now, stay down!" Typhoon snarled as the water fell and rushed off the sides of the tower. "Anemoi!"

"Shit!"

Shadow appeared in the middle of the air in a flash of blue, but in that moment a massive vacuum of wind appeared around the ultimate life form. The hedgehog struggled to breathe, as it still affected him slightly, but then paper thin but lethally sharp blades became concentrated at four corners around the vacuum sphere before they shot directly into the sphere, impacting with Shadow and letting loose a large release of winds. The ultimate life form fell to the ground, scratches and wounds covering his body, but he was still able.

"I can't believe you survived," Typhoon said in shock. "Your endurance is far greater than mine."

"I'm aware, now its my turn," Shadow said. "Chaos Spear!"

The technique would have been easy to avoid, but due to this Inhibitor Rings being off, the wave of his hand instantly materialized over a hundred Chaos Spears. Typhoon looked in shock, but it was too late as they all fired, kicking up waves of dust as they tore through the rabbit. Not wanting to lose his opportunity the hedgehog almost subconsciously warped to her backside, summoning a Chaos Nightmare to one hand and a Chaos Lance to the other. Typhoon tried to turn around to save herself but then Shadow's techniques impacted in a large column of red fury.

"That had to hit. This is done," Shadow said, almost relieved.

"No! Tempestas!"

Shadow warped far out of the way, landing beside Rouge on one of the towers as Typhoon unleashed her last technique. The formation of technique was instantaneous can could barely be described, but in that instant a powerful storm formed around Typhoon, cascading water within it while lightning crackled within. It was as if a hurricane surrounded Typhoon, destroying everything around her as she was the epicenter of it all. The two heroes stood on the outskirts of the technique, the wind picking up around them as they looked at Typhoon standing within it.

"Tempestas is the ultimate defense," Typhoon claimed, mostly unharmed from Shadow's attack though he right hung limp at her side, showing he pierced through before her attack activated. "It creates the forces of a category 5 hurricane, which I then concentrate around myself. Nothing can break through. This is why I am the head Ragnarok agent."

"How are we supposed to win now?" Rouge wondered as the world seemed to crumble away around Typhoon, her stormy gray eyes piercing through Shadow's soul. "She can control ice, water, wind, and electricity, and now she's using them all at once. I would say warp inside, but it looks worse in there. Typhoon's the only one immune to the destruction."

"Thank you for saving me. Maybe I'm around Sonic too much, but I was about to do that," Shadow said, chuckling nervously as Rouge glared at him.

"Should we just wait?" Rouge asked.

"That's it!" Shadow exclaimed, pointing towards the Inhibitor Rings that fell to the Ivory City below. "We're both Black Arms descendants, and they always used up way too much energy for attacks, so she was given Inhibitor Rings too. And because she used so many attacks already, this attack is her final stand. We just have to buy time until she falters slightly because of a lack of energy, and then I'll strike."

"Sounds good, but what are you going to do?" Rouge asked. "I can buy time, trust me. Woman's intuition and all that."

"I'll be gone for a few," Shadow stated, much to Rouge's panic. "Don't worry. This time I won't leave you and Omega alone, I promise. I'll be back in a flash, and when I do, run. I wouldn't want you to get hurt in the process."

"Okay," Rouge nodded.

Shadow turned towards Typhoon and held out his hands, summoning four Chaos Lances in a flash before he launched them at Typhoon. The rabbit said nothing, continuing to walk forward as the storm followed, effortlessly destroying the attacks without any change. Shadow glared at her and held out his hand, his entire body glowing in a fiery crimson. Without another word he unleashed his more directed version of the Chaos Blast at Typhoon, ripping up energy on the path towards her. The Chaos Wave crashed into the Tempestas with a powerful impact, sending crimson energy in all directions.

"You can't win. Your desperation will only lead to a quicker demise," Typhoon told him. When the crimson energy faded however Shadow was gone, leaving only Rouge standing defiantly against the Tempestas. "It seems that your friend turned tail and ran. But this is fine enough. Just as he cost me my life, I will cost him his love."

"Love?" Rouge wondered.

"You really are a fool," Typhoon grinned, walking towards her as the same slow pace. "He would kill for you, just I would kill for my ambitions. Now, stay still. I'll make this quick."

* * *

**Location: Ivory City**

**World's Key Plan: 5 minutes**

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Shadow?" the GUN Soldier asked.

"It's the only way. She's too strong otherwise. And if I don't stop her, she'll either decimate your forces or she'll interfere in Sonic's fight. Either will leave us dead, with Rouge being first," Shadow explained, standing on the top of a GUN Air Support heading for the island in the distance. "Just line me up with the top of the tower. I can do the rest."

"Alright," the GUN soldier stated as the aircraft ascended. "Let us know if you need backup."

"I will, but don't think I want it. I don't want to kill you by accident," Shadow said. "I was working on a little something while I was going. Let's see how her Tempestas likes it.

The black hedgehog tensed up, closing his eyes before he opened them to find that they were a bright crimson, along with the rest of his body. Crimson bolts of energy flew in all directions as Shadow looked at the top of the Ivory Tower, where the Tempestas raged, blotting out the orange of the sky above. It seemed as though Shadow would unleash a Chaos Blast, but then he held out his left arm, blue particles surrounding it as he warped all of the red energy into his arm.

In that instant the bandages ripped off his arm, and his glove fell apart. Bright vermilion coated his entire arm as bolts of purple flew in all directions, creating an aura that stretched a few stories into the sky, illuminating the entire ocean around them as they approached the island. Shadow stood in the middle of the purple aura, his eyes lighting up the same color as his quills waved about wildly and he cried out in pain, holding his arm tightly.

"I have combined the strengths of the Chaos Control and Chaos Blast to create a new technique, one that surpasses all others," Shadow stated, holding his arm out to his side as he tensed up, shooting off in a flash of purple. "The Chaos Overload!"

* * *

**Location: Sacred Canopy**

**World's Key Plan: 2 minutes, 30 seconds**

"You don't have to do this!" Rouge stated as Typhoon continued to approach, savoring her almost assured victory as she approached, the edge of the storm dangerously close to Rouge. "There are second opportunities for you. Do you think we can't get GUN to leave you alone? They're different now that the corrupt GUN Commander and Cyrus are gone."

"It doesn't matter. Even if it isn't GUN, someone else out here will use people as tools, taking away their chance at normal life. I can't allow that to happen to anyone else, even if I destroy my own life in the process!" Typhoon declared. "Enough with the talk. I'm going to end this!"

"Shadow!" Rouge said in shock.

"Impossible!" Typhoon shouted, turning around.

In that moment a massive streak of purple shot across the skyline towards the Sacred Canopy faster than they could follow. Shadow held his arm out, ripping through space and time at speeds that was a little less than double the speed of sound. It was if he was an arrow that cut through even the laws of physics, bending the universe as he launched across the sky, his arm blazing out with purple energy that it could barely contain. The black hedgehog cried out in pain once again-he could barely feel his arm through all of the agony.

"That attack...it's like a big bang. So much energy contained in one place!" Rouge exclaimed. "The impact would cut through anything and everything."

"Here I come, Typhoon the Rabbit! Chaos Overload!" Shadow screamed, the air moving out of the way as he speed amplified, covering the radius of the island in mere seconds.

Before Typhoon could react the flash of vermilion collided with her Tempestas, but only for a moment as it slowed down slightly. Before she could do anything her lightning was deflected and the air stopped along with the water. She stared into the glowing vermilion eyes of her opponent, and knew that it was over as he placed his hand on her chest. For a moment the world slowed to a crawl, and Typhoon and Shadow looked into each other, acknowledging and understanding the pain the other one felt.

Then it was over. The rabbit's screams were drowned out by the impact of the attack, sending a large column of purple energy into the sky which vaporized the clouds and ripped through the atmosphere, letting loose streams of electric disturbance. The energy spread out, appearing as a horizon of purple to onlookers below and those coming to the island. Rouge flew high in the sky away from the impact, looking back as the remaining five towers collapsed, falling off the Ivory Tower while the roof ripped apart slightly, sending debris in every direction.

When the energy faded Rouge landed, finding Shadow barely standing, his hand now not touching anything. The storm finally stopped and the orange horizon became larger, shining over the Ivory City. The bat held the hedgehog up, as his charred arm hung limp and his body returned to normal.

"Thank you Shadow...you saved my life again," Rouge thanked, embracing him weakly.

"You saved my life too. Without you, I wouldn't have had the strength to pull through with the attack," Shadow admitted.

"Shadow? Is there something you need to tell me?" Rouge asked.

"Well-" Shadow began, but then stopped, a portal appearing in the air. "Time's up. Let's hope Sonic pulled through, or we're all done."

**World's Key Plan: 00:00:00**

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: Don't panic people, this battle happens chronologically at the same time as the Nebula battle on Angel Island, so Sonic still has time. Shadow has defeated Typhoon, ending Ragnarok and putting away another regret of his past. But the danger still looms.

Will Sonic succeed against Nebula? What will the battle cost both sides? Can Sonic accept his destiny as the last Chosen? And what will the fate of the world be in the face of Nebula's World's Key Plan? These answers will come in the next and final arc of this story, which will start with a two parter, then a three parter, and then the final chapter. We're so close, so review and hang tight for the final ride that si this epic story!

PS: This is my longest chapter ever at 5k+ words, and this chapter name comes from the idea that Shadow is the center of Typhoon's "storm" of tragedy, and of course, that the battle ended in the center of a storm. Also, it was named from Bullet for My Valentine's song, "Eye of the Storm". Check it out, it's a good one!


	55. My Body is a Cage Part One

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 55: My Body is a Cage Part One

**Location: Angel Island**

**World's Key Plan: 1 hour, 53 minutes**

The heroes trudged through the forest as it finally broke. So many thoughts ran through his head that he could barely contain them all. He thought of all the people who were being put in danger, and how the outcome of this battle would affect them all. He thought of how Gemini died, and he refused to let that happen to anyone else that day, at any cost. Ahead of them Nebula's aura seemed to wash over the area, like a massive pressure that warned them of his presence, and what it would mean for them. For a moment Sonic stopped, and the others stopped with him.

"Amy, there's a cliff high above that would look over the area," Sonic said. "You and Alice should take Gemini, the emeralds, and the cores up there through the trail to the west. Knuckles, just stay nearby, but don't get in the way unless shit hits the fan."

"Got it," Knuckles said, dashing off through the undergrowth.

"Be careful Sonic. I love you," Amy said, giving him a quick kiss before her and Alice dashed off towards the rocky cliff.

"I love you too Ames!" Sonic said, waving quickly at her as he stood at the edge of the trees. "I'm gonna beat him in a flash. Just you wait."

Within his friends out of the way, there was nothing else. As he looked forward and took a deep breath, he let go of all of his thoughts and embraced his destiny, walking through the trees and into the bright light of the dawn. The layers of trees instead opened up to the rocky cliffs and hills that seemed to make up the central part of the island. Large mountains seemed to protrude into the sky, but they weren't as high as the Sacred Canopy, which was a relief to the last Chosen. Despite the earthy setting, there were still many trees and lush vines covered many of the rocky surfaces.

"It's nice to see you finally arrive, Sonic the Hedgehog. Alone, I see? Where are your comrades?" the winged Nebula asked. As he talked, Sonic got a better look at him. This body took the form of an echidna with long twisting locks. It's eyes and markings were the same as every other body, but it had a small yellow tail, yellow antennas, and four long wings of lemon energy flowing behind it which allowed it to hover slightly above the ground. Something about the Light Nebula was much different from the others, but Sonic could not tell exactly what it was.

"My comrades are a bit busy. But that's not the point. We're here, and talking has been done. Whoever wins will have been proven right," Sonic said harshly, looking upon another one of Nebula's bodies. This Nebula shared the same basic traits of the other Nebulas, but it had rough scaly skin with four spike like protrusions on its forehead and the purple markings running along to the gold horn's tip. The Rogue Nebula wielded a small katana, along with boot compartments for it's weapons and a forehead protector with a scratched out tree on it. It had the wrist compartments that Espio did, but it went all the way up its forearm to the elbow. "So let's fight. I'm ready."

"I will give you one last opportunity, Sonic. You have seen the evils of this world. You have faced many yourself, and you know how much better this world could be. And I can do that, by destroying it and making another, perfect world from the ashes," Chakram Nebula stated, being the very same body that helped to kill Chaos. The last Nebula body had the orange fur, crimson eyes, and vermilion markings, but he had the body of a raccoon, along with magenta swirls on it's bare palms and forehead and a bushy light pink tail. "With my four most powerful bodies here, I will be impossible to defeat. Chaos couldn't kill one of these, so how could you fare against three more?"

"I guess we'll find out," Sonic challenged daringly, clenching his fists. "Let's do this already, the answer is no!"

"Then face my vision's wrath," the raccoon, known as Psyche Nebula hissed.

Sonic tensed up, flipping high in the air and away from where he once stood as Psyche Nebula thrust its arm out, unleashing a compact blast of fuchsia which exploded with a destructive impact that broke up the rocks and sent dust in every direction. The last Chosen began to descend, but as he looked below the Light Nebula jumped across multiple cliffs, using his large wings for extra jump before he stopped on one of the higher cliffs and held out his hand, firing off a powerful, bright sweeping beam of light that cut through the rock and the air as it curved towards Sonic.

"Shit...I can't avoid that...come through for me Chip! Light Shield!" Sonic called out, hold up Chip's bracelet whose green gem glowed with a bright light.

In that moment a light green barrier formed around Sonic's body, which the bright beam of pure light slammed into. Despite the concussive force which tossed Sonic into the side of one of the large cliffs, causing it to collapse the shield was not penetrated, still standing strong as Sonic emerged from debris right before it faded. The blue hedgehog looked around for his opponents, but in that moment he turned around and dodged multiple sword strikes from the Rogue Nebula.

"Of course the traitorous Gaia gods would aid a Chosen," Nebula hissed. "But don't worry. They won't be able to interfere with me. Nothing is immortal in the face of the Harbinger."

"The Harbinger?" Sonic questioned. "What is that? What are you planning to do?"

"Die!" Nebula shouted angrily.

The Nebula body stabbed out for him but the hedgehog leaped before spinning around, unleashing a Windmill Kick which carved through the air. The Rogue Nebula simply sidestepped his leg as it came around before he pulled out a kunai and attempted to stab Sonic in the back of the head. The blue blur kicked off in the opposite direction, twirling through the air and narrowly avoiding his attack. As he landed and the Rogue Nebula charged, he quickly held out his hand, firing powerful gusts of blue wind at him.

The burst of cyan energies tossed Rogue Nebula through the air over a large cliff that overlooked a small forest like area below. For a moment Sonic thought that the body would die, but then Chakram Nebula flew out of the sky, his smaller chakrams combined into a large one that he flew on top of. The Rogue Nebula fell onto it, forming hand signs rapidly before he held a Tiger hand seal. He opened his mouth, unleashing a powerful stream of water that quickly expanded to form cascades that fell upon Sonic.

"And that is his end," Light Nebula sighed, floating in the air a good distance away from the Water Style: Great Flood Jutsu as it crashed upon the earth, flowing into the river nearby. "I figured out his weakness easily. When avoiding my attacks from the Rogue body, he subconsciously moved away from the small river nearby once it became visible through the wreckage. I expected better."

"Chaos Control!"

Light Nebula caught Sonic's fist as he appeared in a flash of azure, moving through time and space with far more precision and swiftness that he ever did before. The God of Rebirth held up his other hand, summoning blades of light which floated above the two. Sonic tried to pull loose but Nebula's grip was like iron-it was unnatural, mechanical, dead, and yet hauntingly powerful. The God of Rebirth brought his hand down, launching the blades at Sonic. Or the blue flash that was left behind.

The blue hedgehog warped behind Nebula, slamming his Sonic Storm into his back. Before he could do much the powerful burst of wind carried him through a wave of trees. The blue hedgehog looked at him as he got back up, moving into a fighting position, but before he could move a powerful blast slammed into the ground beside him, tossing him through the air at high velocities towards the river. As he flew through the air, he saw the Psyche Nebula pursue high through the trees, while the Light Nebula continued to look at him.

_That's it...Chaos was right. They share the same senses. They're one conscious, not just possessed. And based on what that Resurrect Nebula did, they're already dead before he tries to do anything to them. I think I've figured this out,_ Sonic deduced, but then he snapped back into reality, plunging into the river as it carried him downstream.

"Shit!" Sonic said, sinking below the depths. Above him floated the Chakram and Psyche Nebulas on the giant chakram which pulsed with scarlet energy.

Finally the water broke, allowing Sonic to breathe in heavily, taking in the air he craved for so greatly. But as he took in another breath, becoming aware, he realized over the edge of a waterfall, plummeting to the valleys of mountains. As he looked up, still recovering from the water the Psyche Nebula leaped over the chakram, descending towards him rapidly like a living meteor. Sonic quickly held his hand up, firing off a Sonic Wind at him but he held out his hand, creating a shell of vermilion around himself which was easily repelled.

Moments later Psyche Nebula slammed into him, causing the blue blur to cough up blood. But it did not end there, as he kicked him multiple times before flipping over and smashing him with one final kick, tossing him even faster to the ground below. Sonic hit with an impact that raised a large cloud of dust, but the psychic raccoon then leaped down onto him, creating a spider web of cracks in the rock as more dust flew up into the air around them.

"Thanks again Chip!" Sonic grinned, being encased in a Light Sphere which burned Psyche Nebula and forced him to jump away. "If it wasn't for you, that fall and the impact would've killed me twice over!"

"You are annoyingly persistent, just like your predecessor," Psyche Nebula hissed.

"Guess I am. But the real ace here is, I figured out your ability. Chaos couldn't, Mach couldn't, but I could. Somehow, you use a technique that injects your conscious into a dead body, which can't gain life because it's just your conscious, not your soul, explaining the mechanical like movements and similarities in the tattoos, eyes, and fur color," Sonic figured out. "Then, your conscious grows, and can be injected into another body, like a virus. The only reasons this works is because of your godly aura. Anyone else would just find themselves with bodies, but unable to use their original traits."

"Good work," Nebula admitted. "But you still can't stop me."

"I can though," Sonic smirked. "All I have to do now is destroy these bodies, make sure your others are eliminated, then somehow reinforce the Sacred Seal, wherever it is, so your original body's conscious can't escape into others. That's the 'core' Mach was talking about."

"My claim still remains. You will not win this battle!" Nebula declared. "I've suffered too much to fail. Not again!"

"You know, I feel sad for you," Sonic said. "People like you and me could've been friends, if things were different. Even when you killed Chaos and attacked our base, I still tried to give you a chance. Now, you're just an instrument of the world's hate. I can't save everyone."

"You won't even be able to save yourself," Nebula hissed. "We may be even now, but I'm more than one person. I will outlast all."

"Are you kidding?" Sonic smirked playfully, suddenly shooting off, trails of wind flowing out behind him. "Have you sen how fast I am? Don't get cocky!"

"Die!" Psyche Nebula roared, firing off bursts of pink psychic force.

The blue hedgehog ran as fast as he could, the earth erupting around him as he blazed through the attacks, keeping his eyes on his opponent as he moved about in every which way. He was shocked by the success of his ploy and the turn of events, but then he realized it. Nebula was full of rage. He carried around this mask, which along with his manipulation over the dead made him seem otherworldly. But in reality, he was unstable and on the verge of insanity, all of those years in the Sacred Seal warping his rational side. He was a ghost of what he once was, a mere shade.

And while it didn't provide Sonic with much of an advantage, it was all he had.

"Your speed won't save you forever," Psyche Nebula said, suddenly bringing his palms together before he pulled them apart, unleashing a wide wave of psychic energy which ripped through everything, uprooting whole trees and reducing the ground to rubble. "You're just the beginning. I'll show the Enigmatic One, by blowing all of the Chosen to smithereens! And then I'll shut him up in a dimension so remote that he won't be able to create anything again."

"That was a close one!" Sonic shouted, leaping high over the wave and landing on the side of a rocky wall full of vines surrounding the cliff before he ran across it, "You don't get it, buddy. Your threats don't mean anything if you can't beat me. And things seem to be tipping in my favor. Since I dried off, you haven't been able to hit me at all!"

"Silence!" Nebula demanded, holding out both of his hands which he then fired two massive psychic blasts from.

The blue blur looked in shock, leaping off just in time. The shock wave that resonated tossed Sonic through the air as a wave of rock fell from above. The cobalt furred hedgehog quickly recovered, falling onto one rock before he leaped across multiple others. As he fell through the air, he fired a Sonic Wind down below him, a wave of blue gusts falling towards the God of Rebirth. The psychic raccoon leaped out of the way without even looking, but at that moment Sonic appeared in a blue flash, rushing towards the Lord of Ragnarok.

"That's a pretty neat trick, with all of your buddies watching me and all," Sonic chuckled, making note of the Rogue Nebula watching from the thick of the trees and the Chakram Nebula looking from above the rocky wall. "But let's see if they can keep track of me after this!"

The blue hedgehog spun around, launching a powerful kick directly at his adversary. The Nebula body held up his arms, allowing the attack to just push him back, but as he skidded Sonic zipped behind him, a Sonic Storm brimming to life as he thrust his arm forward. At that moment his wrist was grabbed by the Lord of Ragnarok before he was tossed up into the air. The blue hedgehog tried to flip over, but as he did, the Psyche Nebula fired off a powerful psychic blast directly into his stomach, tossing him into the rock wall almost instantly.

"You're pathetic," Psyche Nebula said as the giant rocky wall gave way, tons of earth falling down onto Sonic as the Chakram Nebula dropped to his side. "So much talk and nothing to back it up. It's almost too easy."

"That's because you haven't seen my new Mirror Speed technique!" Sonic called out.

Psyche Nebula narrowed his eyes, putting his mask of coldness back on as he charged up another psychic blast in his grasp from his palm tattoo. But instead multiple blurs of blue flashed all around him, sending azure wind up into the air. The Chakram Nebula summoned his two chakrams, but the moment he did Sonic appeared from the wind, slamming a fist that tossed Chakram Nebula out of the way. Psyche Nebula fired a blast at Sonic, but he faded into an afterimage just before impact.

"Sonic Storm!" Sonic roared, the winds stopping in moments as six different images of Sonic all rushed at Psyche Nebula at the same time, prepared to blow him into oblivion.

"Decent effort," Nebula commented, slamming his palms together before spreading them apart. In that moment a sphere of protective psychic energy wrapped around Psyche Nebula before it suddenly expanded, the concussive force tossing all of the Sonics away. Seconds later five of the other Sonics faded, leaving only one to flip back onto his feet. "But they're not real."

"You're better than you seem dude, but you still forgot something," Sonic grinned, fading into an afterimage. "Sonic Maelstrom!"

The blue hedgehog warped behind Nebula, holding his arm above his head before he launched the small burst of wind into the God of Rebirth's back. The blue hedgehog then smirked, leaping away from the impact. At that moment cascades of azure wind all pulled into the central wind, creating a bang that filled the area. And when it faded the Psyche Nebula was nothing but a blood stained shell on the ground, his purple markings dimming and his crimson rings fading to normal dark green irises. Sonic panted heavily, having already used over half of his energy for one Nebula, and the fight was not nearly over.

But that was when the Chakram Nebula raised from the ground, twisting his arm back into place with minimal effort while the Rogue Nebula emerged from the forest. That was when Sonic realized the truth. He couldn't just kill or disable them. They were already dead, so he had to obliterate them to a point where they couldn't function at all. The Rogue Nebula then stepped forward, forming numerous hand signs before he reeled his head back. Sonic prepared to fire off a Sonic Tornado, but then his head snapped forward, unleashing the Lightning Style: False Darkness Jutsu.

The spear shaped lightning bolt slammed into Sonic's side at full speed, drawing a stream of blood. The cobalt hero looked in shock-only his instinct to protect himself with his Dusk form prevented the lightning from reaching his heart. The formerly azure hedgehog flew through the air, smashing through multiple trees and flying across a lake before he finally came to a stop. As he looked up the Light Nebula floated over the lake, while the wounded Knuckles laid up against a tree, blood pouring from a wound on his chest.

"This one has become much more powerful. With so many elements at his disposal he kept me occupied for a while, even as you managed to kill one of my bodies without dying yourself. Not even Chaos could do that," Light Nebula stated, the rage boiling within Dusk Sonic as Knuckles looked at him weakly. "But now that he's out of the way, I finally found the location of your loved one. She did a good job concealing her signature, until she tried hopelessly to heal Gemini. Better hurry, before the Rogue Nebula gets there first!"

"I'll kill you!" Sonic shouted, tossing a large indigo Sonic Tornado at him. "If a hair is out of place, I'll rip you to shreds!"

As he blocked the winds with his wings wrapping around his body, the blue hedgehog helped Knuckles up, the two of them racing across the island towards Amy. Trees whipped by them, and despite the vibrant orange sky above them, the dangerous feel in the air was apparent. As they ran, Light Nebula simply floated above behind them, holding his hands together tightly as an aura of light surrounded them. From it, curved lasers of light the size of buildings launched through the air like deadly tendrils, stretching through the sky and crashing all around Sonic and Knuckles.

"I thought I told you not to interfere. He kicked your ass, again!" Sonic hissed as they barely managed to dodge the streams, the echidna struggling to keep up as the transformed hedgehog moved as fast as he could.

"Thanks a lot," Knuckles grumbled, hissing as one grazed his arm, burning through his skin. "That's not the point. If he gets to them, they don't stand a chance. They'll be dead long before we arrive."

"That's not it. Amy can heal at full power without revealing herself. That's her strength," Sonic realized, feeling Amy's presence up ahead. "We're leading Nebula to them."

But before he could do anything, another laser fell to the earth, ripping through the ground and stopping Knuckles in his tracks. But as Sonic approached another at the speed of sound, Nebula's body suddenly emerged from it, a long blade of light in his hands. The navy hedgehog stared open wide, trying to stop his dash but to no avail as the blade of light gleamed in the sun and Nebula thrust forward, the assurance of victory now in his crimson ringed orbs of vision.

* * *

**World's Key Plan: 56 minutes**

Amy and Alice sat there one minute, Gemini's body sitting there with half of his chest blown away while Amy leaned over him, a pink aura in the shape of a heart surrounded her hands as she attempted to heal him. The next minute the rumbling of the earth grew louder, and then the entire forest in front of the concealed cliff was ripped apart in a wave of pure light. The pink hedgehog looked in shock as trees crashed to the ground, and branches and rocks crashed to the earth. Alice screamed out, barely dodging a tree that crashed in between the two.

The Rogue Nebula leaped down from a tree, tossing the ravaged Knuckles to the ground, beaten almost to death. And then through the cloud of debris Sonic became visible, a large wound cutting through his upper right torso. Blood dripped from the Dusk hedgehog's mouth, and less critical wounds covered the rest of his body. Light Nebula floated with the grace of an angel from the sky above, glancing at Amy for a moment before dismissing her presence and staring at the wounded Chosen.

"I do not care for your lover. All she did was create the weakness I needed to strike," Light Nebula stated as Sonic weakly got back to his feet. "If you had let go of your attachments, you would still stand a shred of a chance."

"This isn't over," Sonic said, looking at Knuckles as he tried to get up. "You messed with my friends, and now you're next."

"I don't believe so," Rogue Nebula stated, suddenly flickering into existence with his sword aimed for Sonic's throat. Then blood splattered across the rock and ivy.

"No," was all Sonic could whisper

"Amy!" Knuckles called out.

The pink hedgehog jumped in the way at the last minutes, a large cut carved across her chest. She tried to scream, but her breath was stolen from her. The navy hedgehog couldn't believe his eyes as Amy fell to the ground, blood falling around her as she struggled to move. The world seemed to go still for a moment as Rogue Nebula raised his sword again for a final strike. In that moment of stillness, pure desperation filled Sonic's heart as he looked at the heartbroken and desperate Alice, Gemini's corpse, the beaten Knuckles, and the dying Amy. They all depended on him, and he failed them.

_I won't fail them again, even if it costs me my light. My soul. My life. My existence._

The navy hedgehog screamed out suddenly, a powerful shock wave of ebony radiating out from him, blowing all away except for the Light Nebula, who flew high up into the air near one of the mountains while he summoned the Chakram and Rogue Nebulas to the rocky walls on his sides. The God of Rebirth concentrated, holding his hands together as a Ragnarok portal the size of the Black Comet appeared in the sky above Angel Island. As the shock wave faded, suddenly a sheen of obsidian energy formed around Sonic, shooting up beyond the clouds as the presence of evil washed over Angel Island.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: This is only the first part of our battle here, and things become much more interesting next chapter. What is happening to Dusk Sonic? What is Nebula trying to summon? Will he truly win the battle for the world because the World's Key Plan is unleashed? Is Amy truly dead? And what has Sonic sacrificed to gain the power he needs? Review and hang tight for the second part to this battle.

...Unfortunately, this computer barely works and my new expensive one won't come for a few weeks. And I'm going on vacation. Ugh. So, my next update may not be until September. But don't worry, I plan to make it up to you with the greatest climax to this battle possible, and it leaves you hanging!

Also, if you know Mystery002, or if you don't, he has started the Fan Fiction Contests for 2010. Please participate and advertise the competition, even if you think you won't win (though many of you have awesome stories) for the fun, and I am also participating, so please vote if you don't submit to the category when the polls come out, whether for me or for someone else (I'll let you all know!).

See you in September!


	56. My Body is a Cage Part Two

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 56: My Body is a Cage Part Two

**World's Key Plan: 52 minutes**

Sonic's scream seemed to even move the winds the helices of black enshrouded him, reaching up through the clouds and past the massive portal Light Nebula summoned. The Nebula body's energy wings flapped slowly, forming small bolts of light from tiny specks that then shot through the air, ripping through the trees and smashing into the helices of energy. The impact seemed to do nothing but slightly disturb the black sheets of wind that protected Sonic. The God of Rebirth continued to slap his palms against each other, enlarging the portal as the winds then concentrated around the barely visible form of Sonic, which began to change as his scream echoed throughout Angel Island.

"This isn't the Dusk form. This power is far greater than anything Sonic or Xavnu has produced," Light Nebula realized. "The only others who compare is Gemini and the others of the Dark clan, but this power's malicious aura is unreal."

"What the hell happened?" Knuckles wondered in shock, standing mere feet from the helices. "He's losing control of that power. I've never felt anything so sinister before."

"It feels like Gemini's when he thinks of Aersus and Virgo," Alice replied, standing over Amy as the look in her eyes dulled over, blood falling from her wounds unceremoniously. Knuckles looked at her solemn face, and knew that this was just as bad as he thought. "He thinks Amy is dead."

"Is she?" Knuckles wondered.

"No." Alice shook her head. "But she will soon. She's barely hanging on. And the destructive power Sonic is causing isn't helping."

"It won't matter," Rogue Nebula stated, warping to the helices. Knuckles quickly summoned a Thunder Arrow, leaned over, and fired the bolt of enchanted lightning at him, but he clasped his hands together, causing the earth to rise up around him and the transforming Sonic in a high speed rotating ring which easily absorbed his attack. "My Earth Style: Sun Dial Ring Jutsu will make this more personal. The moment he emerges, I'll kill him in one blow from my katana."

"Shit," Knuckles hissed, doubling over from his wounds.

Then the helices died down, allowing the aura of black and navy to escape from the transformed Sonic, his figure hunched over and covered in darkness. The Rogue Nebula faintly smirked and lunged forward, drawing his katana and thrusting at Sonic. Alice yelled out from the cliff and Knuckles could only look in shock as the katana gleamed in the light of the dawn and came even closer to the hairs on Sonic's throat. That was, until he looked up at Rogue Nebula. The God of Rebirth skidded to a halt, his weapon inches from the last Chosen's throat as he looked at the form of Sonic, and his barrier dropped, allowing all to gaze upon Sonic's new transformation.

"He looks just like that man. The greatest of the Dark, Corrupt," Nebula whispered, unable to believe what he was seeing before his eyes.

"You're right," Knuckles admitted to Alice gravely. "That's not his Dusk form. It's too sinister, like when Gemini used the Dark Vortex on Nightmare."

The new form had obsidian orbs as its eyes, along with black fur. His gloves separated at the palms, revealing two crimson eyes. Flowing blue lines cut through the black fur, glowing dimly as the vestiges of Sonic's influence over his body. Seven quills of navy flowed in the air, and his muzzle turned a startling charcoal color. A hybrid black and blue aura surrounded what used to be Sonic in a powerful triple helix that tore up everything as it extended into the sky, lashing out at the clouds themselves. Nebula could hardly believe his eyes, but he then glared at the blue hedgehog and held up his katana again, slashing down for the new form's throat.

"Die," Sonic said, his voice warped even more than his Dusk form. While there was still the aggressive tone in it, he also had a slight hiss in his voice which shook the God of Rebirth to his core.

Corrupt-Sonic rushed forward, being a blur of darkness as he appeared behind the Rogue Nebula, slamming him across the face with a punch that sent him flying through multiple trees and rocks. As he crashed into the ground at full force, letting loose fine grains of dust the now dark manipulating hedgehog suddenly appeared behind the Rogue Nebula, slamming his fist into it. But instead the form of the Rogue Nebula vanished in the poof of a Shadow Clone, the real one appearing at the top of a tree as he launched waves of shuriken and kunai from his arm holster at the navy hedgehog before turning invisible with his Ninja Leaf Swirl Jutsu.

"I was able to defeat Corrupt the Dark before, and I was winning against Sonic the Hedgehog as well," Rogue Nebula stated as Sonic blurred a in rush of speed, dodging every single projectile before he launched up through the air at the mostly camouflaged Nebula and then vanished. "But their strengths together make them almost unstoppable."

The Rogue Nebula looked in shock as Corrupt-Sonic was suddenly at his side, gripping the blade with his hands. Though it drew blood the transformed blue blur ignored it, his lips curled into a harsh, animal like snarl as he held out his other hand, instantly summoning a large navy Sonic Storm to his hands, though this one did not have the wind like blades of dark blue energy and instead had electricity like arcs of pure obsidian surrounding it. Without hesitating the Corrupt-influenced hero smashed the attack into Rogue Nebula.

A blast of black lightning and navy wind rocked through the mountainous area, tearing rock from the ground as the Rogue Nebula smashed into it, blood falling from his wounds in streams. Sonic looked with his ebony eyes as black rippled off of his body, waiting for the Rogue Nebula to get off the ground. But it never moved, and in that moment he turned around, looking up one of the smaller valleys and at the Light Nebula and Chakram Nebula standing on top of the rocks, the massive portal above them rippling as a massive roar emanated from within and a black claw the size of a small building emerged from the depths of the portal.

"Somehow, Corrupt didn't curse Xavnu. He cursed his descendant, which is how he really got his Dusk form. But no matter. I don't need the Rogue body," Light Nebula stated as another claw pierced the abyss, holding onto the side of the portal as it finally emerged, overshadowing the island. Corrupt-Sonic stared at the massive beast as it tore its way through the dimensions, emerging into the world over Angel Island. Trickles of blood from Light Nebula's mouth as he coughed. "Now that the strongest Ragnarok Beast, the Blood Titan is summoned, he doesn't stand a chance."

The massive Ragnarok Beast revealed itself as it emerged from the portal. It had massive torn white wings which somehow kept it afloat, along with black gargantuan claws too sharp for practical use, along with two massive white horns on the top of its head. Long feet grazed the sides of the mountains as it grabbed onto the tops with it's four arms. Sharp violet eyes gazed down upon Corrupt-Sonic as it roared out, the massive black armor like plating with white edges that covered the rest of it's body gleaming in the light.

"The energy coming from that thing is unreal," Knuckles stated, getting to his feet. "But Sonic can probably take that thing now."

"I hope not, so he can snap out of it," Alice stated, looking at the warped Sonic standing on top of a tree as he looked at the Blood Titan peering down from the sky. "Look at that berserk state he's in. He's much stronger, but he's just attacking anything that moves. The only reason he hasn't killed us because Nebula and the Blood Titan is much more of a threat to him."

"Shit. We can't stop him," Knuckles grimaced, barely standing.

At that moment Chip's bracelet glowed, light green tendrils of light emerging from it and grabbing at his body, eating away at his darkness. But in that moment Sonic roared out, ripping through one tendril in a blaze of black sparks before he grabbed the bracelet and tore it off of his arm violently and onto the ground. The bracelet rolled across the rocks as Corrupt-Sonic screamed out, tensing up before he launched through the air in a comet like form of black lightning which disintegrated everything it touched.

"That's a Dark Comet!" Alice realized, looking in shock at Sonic's version of Gemini's powerful attack. "How could he do that?"

The Blood Titan roared out, bringing two of its arms together and creating a massive ball of ivory that he then released, sending snaking meteors of energy down upon the island. Corrupt-Sonic simply roared out, weaving his way through many of the meteors which then crashed into the island, tossing debris into the air. A few meteors curved towards Corrupt-Sonic, but he simply roared out, holding out his hand and unleashing a powerful blast of lightning which ripped through the air and destroyed every meteor it touched without hesitation. The transformed Sonic then relinquished his Dark Surge, shooting up into the sky before descending upon the form of the Blood Titan.

"Impossible...the powers of Corrupt and Sonic are amplifying each other. How did this happen?" Light Nebula wondered in shock.

Corrupt-Sonic launched down in a fiery display of black sparks towards the chest of the Blood Titan, lethal winds swirling around his arm as he roared out inhumanely. The massive Ragnarok Beast shirked out, a small orb of violet forming around where its mouth would be before it craned its neck down at the transformed Chosen and unleashed a powerful laser blast of violet that ripped through the rocky surface of the island easily, digging far into its depths as whole area of trees, rock, and ivy gave way.

The Dark possessed hero quickly summoned a shield of darkness to protect himself, but the protective wave of ebony quickly fell apart in the face of the violet destruction. A large explosion of violet brilliance tossed the darkness wielder through the air, causing him to fly through the side of a mountain. Earth rained down upon the area as the ground below gave way, causing part of the mountain to completely collapse. The cloud of dust reached up into the sky, causing the Blood Titan to shriek out again in victory as Chakram Nebula smirked, assured of his victory.

"He has caused me a lot of trouble, destroying two of my most prized bodies," Light Nebula stated. "But in the end, justice will prevail, and judgment will finally be passed upon those who defy the right of the world, to be reborn into something greater."

"Sonic Maelstrom!" Sonic roared.

The Blood Titan looked in shock as a flash of navy gave way to Corrupt-Sonic who shot through the air, an aura of obsidian surrounding him. The last Chosen shot at the Blood Titan's side, a large shell of black winds surrounding his arm which he then launched at the Ragnarok Beast. At that moment a storm pf white specks filled the air which then turned into ivory meteors which launched at the shell, causing it to explode preemptively. The massive vacuum of navy winds surrounded by black lightning pushed the Ragnarok Beast back across the island, its wings slowing its movement as its massive form knocked through the tops of the cliffs, valleys, and mountains.

"Die!" Corrupt-Sonic shouted, unleashing another burst of Dark Surge from both of its hands as it flew at the Ragnarok Beast, cutting through the air in a streak of ebony.

The Blood Titan suddenly hoisted itself higher up into the air by pushing off of the ground with its lower pair of arms before it raised its higher pair and unleashed fists full of black and white energy that blazed through the air. Corrupt-Sonic could not stop himself in time as the gargantuan fists smashed into him multiple times, tossing him into the ground of the island. Corrupt-Sonic became buried under waves of rock, causing more dust to raise up as the Light and Chakram Nebulas looked down upon the destruction with glee.

"This is only the beginning," Light Nebula stated. "If he cannot defeat the Blood Titan, the there is not even a shred of a possibility that he can stop the Harbinger."

"Face my wrath!" Corrupt-Sonic screamed, shooting through the destruction as he launched for the Blood Titan. "I'll show you, Nebula!"

"Oh Corrupt, you should have stayed down when you could," Nebula sighed, almost without emotion. "My new world will have no place for horrors like you and the other Darks."

The Blood Titan looked down upon Corrupt Sonic, slashing down with two of its arms rapidly which unleashed massive crescents of destructive ebony. The Dark possessed anthro simply weaved his way through the attacks before he summoned a wide wave of black lightning. The Blood Titan screeched out, cutting through most of the wave with a piercing violet laser. The corrupted Chosen instantly summoned another round of Dark Surge, unleashing a concentrated stream of obsidian electrical power.

The two powers fought against each other, sending streams of raw energy in every direction and illuminating the entire island. Knuckles and Alice looked in shock as the energies tore through everything, reducing much of the Echidna relics to rubble. Finally Corrupt-Sonic roared out, unleashing one last push of energy that almost swallowed the violet beam. But then it expanded to the size of a skyscraper, the full brunt overtaking the darkness and Corrupt-Sonic in a brilliant flash of fuchsia. The boom echoed through the area to Light Nebula's satisfaction.

However moments later Sonic burst from the smoke, rushing through the air with great ferocity at the Blood Titan in a Dark Comet. The Ragnarok Beast screeched out, preparing to summon another volley of ivory meteors, but in that moment the sky rumbled and a massive column of rushing black electricity from above smashed the Blood Titan into the earth, ebony waves rolling out over the island. The Blood Titan began to break through the Dark Lightning, clawing through the attack, but then Corrupt-Sonic zipped towards the Ragnarok Beast at over double the speed of sound, two black sparking Sonic Storms both three times the size of Corrupt-Sonic in his grasp.

"I will...protect her!" Sonic roared inhumanely, smashing both of his Sonic Storms into the Blood Titan.

The preemptive blast from the two attacks caused a well of ebony to rain over the island, but then Corrupt-Sonic screamed out, instantly forming more Sonic Storms and rapidly smashing them into the Blood Titan, sending out more and more waves of coal colored energy. Finally he unleashed one last blast of Dark Surge into the Blood Titan's chest, the impact blowing away everything as the beast screeched out, unleashing a storm of black and white particles that formed a haze over the entire island, the dawn's light barely cracking through as the massive beast disintegrated.

"Only a Chosen would find a way to avoid that," Light Nebula hissed, landing at the ruins of the broken rock wall with the Chakram Nebula at his side. "Come out. I'll end this fight. The darkness will never prevail against the light. Even Corrupt knew that."

As he said that Sonic landed on the ground of the island, the rock below giving way from his great destructive force. The two forces stared each other down, the former hero's eyes containing nothing but raw hatred and drive while Nebula's were cold, dead, but still determined. The two combatants stared each other down, but then in that moment Corrupt-Sonic turned around to find Knuckles and Amy standing there, the latter very wounded and barely being able to walk but still alive. The navy furred anthro raised his hand, preparing to unleash another Dark Surge.

"He can't recognize us, Amy. Walk any closer and he'll kill you," Knuckles warned, holding Chip's bracelet while Alice emerged with Gemini's body back on her. "Sonic, if you can hear us you need to snap out of it. Your anger will get you killed. You don't have to take the burden of protecting us. It's self destructive."

"Do it for me, Sonic. I don't want to see your hurt anymore," Amy pleaded, tears falling from her eyes onto the ground as the specks slowly floated in the air all over the island, masking much of it from the view of the world.

"I have...to kill all...for her...for her...kill Mach...for betraying me...kill Nebula...for causing my descent...kill him for Mach...save her...save my friends..." Corrupt-Sonic murmured uncontrollably, his conscious fighting with it's other side for control.

"Sonic, don't do this to me. Because I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter the cost. I love you, Sonic the Hedgehog," Amy proclaimed, grabbing hold of him and kissing him passionately on his lips.

"_Die Mach!" the rough obsidian hedgehog form of Corrupt the Dark's conscious screamed, unleashing another blast of Dark Surge._

_The two fought all across the twisted version of Sonic's mind, where the trees and grass were violet, the ground was red, and the sky was black. Much of his mind's projections were destroyed, the valley scarred from the battle as the weary conscious of Mach and Corrupt fought against each other. The Dark unleashed another stream of black lightning from his hands but Mach suddenly was surrounded by an aura of cyan winds, and he knew it came from Sonic's new found hope._

"_This ends now. I wish it didn't have to be like this, Night the Hedgehog," Xavnu "Mach" the Hedgehog said solemnly, suddenly zipping behind Corrupt with a Sonic Storm in his hand which he then plunged into the powerful Dark's back. _

_The impact instantly erased his existence, leaving behind only the shade which represented Sonic's Dusk form. As a wave of blue spread throughout his mind, rendering it safe from the dangers of his darkness forever, Xavnu smiled, kicking back on the surface of the soft green grass that came back to the blue blur's mind. The wind blew softly despite all that was happening in the real world, but the former Chosen couldn't help but be proud._

_It was all up to Sonic now._

As Amy parted her lips from Sonic's, a shroud of darkness surrounded him before parting way to a wave of cyan light, revealing the normal form of Sonic who quickly returned Amy's kiss before grabbing Chip's bracelet from Knuckles, his trademark smile back on his face despite all he had just been through. Nebula looked without any emotion as Sonic turned back around to him, his trademark pure heart determination in his jade eyes.

"Sorry about that guys, won't happen again. I'm gonna save the world, but I'm not gonna burden myself. I know what I have to do, and nothing more," Sonic stated.

"You're finally back, after you destroyed my strongest Ragnarok Beast and my Rogue body," Chakram Nebula said, summoning his weapons. "No matter. Your fate remains the same. Your friends cannot hope to fight me in this condition. The odds are still stacked against you."

"I think I'll be alright," Sonic said, tensing up as his bracelet glowed dimly. "It's me and you, like it should be. Now are we gonna fight or talk? Don't whine when you're dead, okay? It's irritating."

"Chakram Laser!" Chakram Nebula shouted, his chakrams floating with a powerful scarlet aura in front of him.

The blue hedgehog quickly zipped to the side as a massive twin laser blast of scarlet energy ripped past him, obliterating an entire section of the former Echidna city they were now in to ruins. Sonic quickly leaped through the debris, bouncing off multiple pieces of rock as the Chakram Nebula rushed towards him. The blue hedgehog ducked as Nebula sliced overhead with his chakram, barely missing his head. The blue blur quickly stopped, turning around and spinning around with a powerful Windmill Kick which the Chakram Nebula leaped over, flipping in the air before he rebounded off a piece of stone and then rocketed at Sonic.

Sonic spun around before kicking off of the piece of debris he was standing, flipping in mid air to avoid the chakrams being launched at him. As he landed on the side of the partially showing rooftop of an Echidna temple he was forced to hop back against as a section of the building was torn off, falling far down to the ground below. The Chakram Nebula leaped onto the roof, spinning around before he launched both chakrams at Sonic. The last Chosen summoned a Sonic Wind but held it in his grasp, using it to deflect the chakrams before he launched forward, bringing it down at point blank range.

Waves of blue wind flew out in all directions as Chakram Nebula blocked the attack with his chakrams, the roof buckling slightly beneath the pressure. But in the end the wind did not break through, and as Sonic tried to leap back Nebula threw both chakrams directly at him, being the center of two scarlet suns of energy. The blue hedgehog was carried into the side of the mountain which then collapsed on him, while the Chakram Nebula leaped to another Knuckles Clan building. The rock settled after about a minute and the Chakram Nebula narrowed his eyes as he looked upon Sonic.

"You just won't die, will you? No matter what I use against you, you always pull through. Just like Xavnu," Chakram Nebula hissed, summoning another pair of chakrams.

"I can't lose now. Knuckles and Amy almost died, and I almost lose control because of you. I can't lose now. I've gone too far, and there are too many lives at stake," Sonic said, releasing the Light Shield.

"One last chance. We both want the best for this world, and while you would be saving millions, many more lives could be much better off with their deaths. I could create something truly beautiful," Nebula proposed. "Join me, Sonic. Save this world from itself. Usher in a new age!"

"You know the answer," Sonic replied. "These people...their hopes, their dreams, their lives, their love, can't be destroyed just because of the hate lying within you and others who have been wronged. To wipe them from existence-it's nothing short of evil. You're wrong, you're the villain here!"

"I suppose you have locked your own door to absolution," Nebula sighed. "No matter. You have only seven minutes before phase two starts. And by then, it will be too late."

"Sonic Maelstrom!" Sonic shouted.

The shell of wind flew through the air towards the Chakram Nebula, who quickly propelled himself away from the attack. The spherical vacuum of blue wind pulled loose stone and trees towards it before bursting apart, destroying a good portion of the are as Nebula landed on the long branch of a tall tree. Sonic quickly raced across the rocky wall of debris before launching off, soaring through the air onto a tree branch before he quickly kicked off of it as a sweeping beam of light cut through the forest.

"Shit," Sonic hissed as Light Nebula floated just above the trees, beams of light emanating from each of his palms.

The blue hedgehog leaped through air, twisting and evading the beams of light as he landed on the ground of a broken ancient roadway. As he landed the Chakram Nebula swung out at him multiple times, each attack leaving behind fading trails of scarlet. The blue hedgehog dodged most of them, including leaping out of the way of multiple sweeping beams. But as he landed, Chakram Nebula launched at him, smashing him directly in the chest with a powerful kick. The force tossed Sonic across the roadway, tumbling multiple times before he smashed into the side of a Knuckles Clan temple.

"Of course, I don't have to play fair," Light Nebula said, still hovering in the air over the former Knuckles Clan city. "Come out. We're going to end this."

"We will!" Sonic agreed.

The cobalt furred hero launched out of the debris in a Sonic Boom. Streams of cyan winds surrounded Sonic as he rocketed towards Chakram Nebula, weaving through the massive seeking lasers Light Nebula fired down at him as he launched for his enemy, forming a Sonic Storm in his left hand. Once he formed it Chip's bracelet glowed brightly, causing streams of lime energy to encircle the emerald and imbue it with Light Gaia's power. As he raced towards him at above the speed of sound he held his attack low, ripping up the tiled roadway as determination flickered in his eyes.

"Chakram Orbit!" Chakram Nebula bellowed, hovering slightly above the ground as he released his chakrams which then multiplied, spinning around him rapidly and forming a loose sphere of large red streams.

"Light Sonic Storm!" Sonic shouted in return, not ceasing his charge as he thrust his attack into the protective barrier with headstrong drive.

Lime green energy blended into the blue winds blew back along with the scarlet energy that two fought against each other, summoning winds that toppled over many structures and sent debris flying away from the power clash between the two. The two were even for a moment, roaring out as their attacks intensified. But finally Sonic screamed out, Chip's bracelet reacting to his drive as it poured more energy into the attack. And then in that moment Sonic broke through, driving his attack into Chakram Nebula's stomach.

Waves of lime and azure energy blasted into Chakram Nebula at full force, shredding his body to pieces as the chakrams broke apart all around him like glass, fading into scarlet energy. The blue hedgehog was even pushed back himself by the force of the attack, though he skidded to a halt as the attack finally faded, leaving behind only the remains of Chakram Nebula's body. Light Nebula floated to the ground as Sonic panted heavily, the two standing alone against each other as Knuckles, Amy, and Alice watched from the side of one of the Knuckles Clan structures.

"So it looks like you've only got one body left. Not so tough now, are we?" Sonic snickered.

"Actually, this outcome is only a little less fortunate than what I had predicted," Light Nebula stated, his gargantuan wings flapping slowly as he hovered about the ground. He held out both of his hands, summoning blades of pure light. "In reality, you have enough energy left for only a few more attacks, and three minutes to defeat my strongest body. And there are others. These are only my strongest."

"Well what do you think I'm doing here? If I can beat your strongest bodies, then everyone else can take care of the other ones," Sonic retorted. "And nothing can distract me now."

"This body belonged to the best friend of Xavnu, whom I killed in battle," Light Nebula stated. "But it doesn't matter. Now all that's left is you and me."

Light Nebula suddenly warped in a flash of light in front of Sonic, swinging his blades elegantly. Sonic dodged all of his attacks, weaving in every direction as he aggressively attacked. The blue hedgehog retreated as Light Nebula lunged at him with both blades, and as he retaliated with a Sonic Wind the God of Rebirth flipped over him and stabbed him in the back with one sword before releasing it. A blast of light tossed Sonic across the roadway, but as he tumbled he regained his movement just in time to avoid the rain of light that Nebula unleashed.

"There's nothing else you can do. You've revealed your entire arsenal, and yet I continue to live," Light Nebula stated, appearing before Sonic and wrapping his four massive wings around his body in a constrictive grip. Sonic to yell out but his breath was stolen from him as Nebula sucked the very energy from his body, restoring his own. "If there's anything else you have in store, you should reveal it now."

"I do," Sonic said weakly. "If I can use my Dusk form for a limited period of time without the emeralds, why can't I do the same for the Super form?"

Light Nebula looked in shock as he realized what that meant. He quickly snapped his fingers, causing a massive column of light to drop from the sky. But as it fell upon him a powerful burst of golden light broke it apart, giving way to the transformed Chosen. The God of Rebirth looked up his golden yellow fur, powerful light aura and dark rosy eyes as the aura ripped his wings to shreds, causing him to fall out of the air as Super Sonic launched down at him, firing off a Super Sonic Maelstrom point blank into his chest. And as the massive vacuum explosion of golden wind tore apart the rest of the area along with Light Nebula, Sonic knew he had won in time.

**World's Key Plan: 00:00:00**

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And so with Nebula's greatest bodies eliminated and Typhoon dead, it seems that Ragnarok's threat is over as the countdown finally ends. But this tale of their final war is not over. What will happen next in the three part before the epilogue? Will the heroes win the war? What is the machine and the figure within it for? And what will happen in the final hours before the war ends? What will the fate of the world be?

Hang tight for the first update of the three part finale to this story, World of Ivory, and please drop a review by letting me know what you think before it finally starts! The epic conclusion to this radical story will finally begin! :D


	57. World of Ivory Part One

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 57: World of Ivory Part One

**Location: Sacred Canopy**

**World's Key Plan: 00:00:00**

"What's up Shadow?" Sonic smirked as the four heroes emerged from the portal and landed on the roof of the Sacred Canopy, along with the other three heroes.

"You look fantastic," Shadow smirked meanly in return, looking at his bruised and battered body. "And we're not friends. Is Nebula defeated?"

"Always so straight to the point," Knuckles said as Rouge handed out GUN Heal Units to all of them. The blue glow spread through their bodies as the units dispersed, healing their wounds and replenishing their energy. "We had a few problems, but Sonic got him good. And on the upside, he now has total control over his Dusk form and his Super form."

"I managed to kill Typhoon with Rouge's help," Shadow said, looking back at the spot where the destruction that now covered the Sacred Canopy originated from. "But even though we won, I'm still not happy. She was such a tortured girl, and never had to chance to have a normal life. Just like me, and because of me."

"She wasn't manipulated by Nebula like the rest. If anything, she had one of the biggest parts to play," Rouge added. "The horrors of her life turned her into this. She's no villain. History is told by the victor, and we will tell them the truth of her tragedy."

"I could say the same about Nebula," Sonic stated. "I know he's not really done yet, but more than 4,000 years of suffering turned him into a madman. He's not evil, just filled with the world's hate. If only things could have been different. We could have been friends."

"Good point. But what exactly do we do now?" Alice asked.

"I'm not sure. I'll talk to Tails and see what's up. I hope nothing bad happened to him when we got cut off," Sonic wished, pulling out his communicator. The sound of interference could be heard in the background, but then someone picked up. And it was the last person Sonic wanted to hear."

"If you wanted to reach Miles, then you're out of luck Sonic," Cyrus laughed. "How's it going up there? How is Gemini? Cold and lifeless?"

"Where's Tails?" Sonic hissed. "What have you done to him?"

"He's alive, don't worry. I'm just keeping him and the Chaotix out of the picture," Cyrus grinned. "We don't need that after all. Because while Nebula's taking care of you up there, I'm taking care of the lines of communication down here. There's only so much they can do without a commander to aid them."

"What do you mean by that?" Sonic asked as the other heroes turned towards him, knowing something was wrong.

"You know exactly what I mean, Chosen," Cyrus sneered. "Knowing that I wouldn't stand a chance against either you or Nebula, I had to rethink my options. That was when I realized Nebula's plans were not that much different from mine. His rebirth of this world may be the key to a New World Order."

"And killing Mintra?" Sonic wondered.

"He valiantly sacrificed himself to get me closer to Miles," Cyrus answered. "The fox is smart, but still naive."

"So Ragnarok isn't done. Since you arrived here, you became the last member," Sonic assumed.

"Incorrect, Sonic the Hedgehog," Cyrus replied. "Lance is still alive and well, and by my side. And we are not Ragnarok members. Ragnarok has been disbanded. It's role in the World's Key Plan has been finished. Now, it's simply those who want to foolishly protect this world's state, and those who see beyond it. The value of these people's live are highly overrated."

"You're a monster!" Sonic snarled. "Is this all just a game to you?"

"It doesn't matter. If this is a game, then I'm about to become the second king. Besides, I think you should be paying attention to what is going on around you. This could all just be a distraction," Cyrus said before ending the transmission suddenly.

The blue hedgehog was confused by his words as he put the communicator away, but he then realized what he meant as he swung around. A blast of dark crimson heat tossed him, Rouge, and Alice back, while Knuckles was slammed in the face by a powerful fist that rose from his shadow. The four got up, only to find a horrible situation before them. The massive doomsday machine rose up from the area below the roof, it's shields off as it pointed menacingly at the enigmatic figure within the cyan shield.

"Cyrus couldn't have a done a better job. He truly is a mastermind," Nebula stated, holding the heavily wounded Shadow. His new body had the same crimson eyes, purple marking, and orange exterior, but the Umbra Nebula took the form of a orange scaled viper with a long black tail, and patterned black scales on the top of its head.

"Let go of him, Nebula!" Sonic demanded, summoning a Sonic Storm instantly to his hand. "You know I can beat any other bodies you have now, since I beat the big ones easily!"

"I'm aware of that, but it won't do much good, as I have your lover as well," the other Nebula said. This one also had the crimson eyes, purple markings, and orange fur, but the Heat Nebula also had nine spike like hair pieces on the top of its head, and red tattoos covered its arms and legs. He held Amy by her head, forcing her to the ground as Sonic's rage increased. "You're going to do exactly what I ask and nothing else. Your friends aren't going to do anything at all. If you don't follow, I'll cook her brain in front of your eyes."

"Don't listen to him Sonic!" Amy called out. "The entire world will die if you do what he says. I can sacrifice myself."

"Same here. This isn't about us. Don't fall for it," Shadow advised. "Don't try to play the hero."

"I'm sorry," Sonic sighed. "I just...I just can't. Even if it sets us back a lot, I can't let you guys sacrifice yourselves like that."

"I agree. We would be worse than Nebula if we just let him do that," Knuckles nodded.

"I don't like this at all, but if you guys think it's right, I have no reason to argue," Alice submitted. "What do you want, Nebula?"

"Sonic is going to walk over to Alice and take the emeralds and cores. He'll then take the Master Emerald from Knuckles. Then he'll put them in the machine, and walk away. Deviate from this even remotely, and Amy gets incinerated and Shadow takes a dive off the building," Heat Nebula ordered, pushing Amy onto her knees. "Go. You have ten seconds."

"Here," Alice said as Sonic zipped over to her.

The blue hedgehog picked up their emeralds and cores and threw it into the machine, each chaotic gem landing in the machine's slots perfectly. He then ran over to Knuckles as the echidna pulled out the Master Emerald, quickly rushing it over to the machine and putting it in a slot within the needle. As then ten seconds ran out Sonic leaped back, landing roughly as he looked suspiciously at Nebula, silently demanding the release of his girlfriend.

"Fine. I wanted to kill her so badly, to show that the last Chosen really is a weak fool, but a promise is a promise. I don't need her anymore, especially since all of you will be dead in just a few hours," Heat Nebula said, tossing Amy to the ground as he turned around and faced the machine, while the Umbra Nebula pushed Shadow away towards Rouge. "Do you know what this is all for? What you really have been fighting to prevent?"

"You're destroying the world. I thought that was obvious," Knuckles said.

"You came here without wondering why I needed all of those sources of chaos energy? What I was doing to do with them? How I would destroy an entire world and then rebuild it so fast all by myself?" Umbra Nebula wondered as Heat Nebula pressed multiple buttons on the side of his machine. "Well you are about to find out. Everything done so far, with the collecting of all of these energies, was to fuel the Chaos Cores so I could gain the power of their controller, which is hidden only until it is presented with energies far beyond a god's, which this machine is for."

"The controller of the Chaos Cores?" Knuckles wondered. "I didn't see any information on that in the Knuckles Clan ruins."

"That's because I destroyed all of their evidence of the Chaos Cores and their controller long before Chaos got to them. They didn't deserve to comprehend their power, and neither do you, but it wouldn't be fair to rob your lives before telling you how I will do it," Heat Nebula stated, pressing one last button on the machine before stepping back. "Now, you will witness the creation...of the Chaos Key."

Sonic wanted to leap forward, to do something before his world went to hell, but he could only stand in shock as the machine activated, blinding the entire Sacred Canopy in a flash of pure white. When the light died down and six plus Gemini's body looked on, they were taken back as the machine finally died down, the chaos storing machines and the main machine crumbling to pieces while the emeralds, Master Emerald, and cores floated ominously in the air. The blue sphere with the mysterious figure in it hovered above the ground as well, pulsing with energy.

Heat Nebula grabbed the controller to the Chaos Cores directly out of the air, holding it with a tight grip as power surged from it, filling the air all around them. Sonic studied its elegant form carefully, unable to comprehend the energy that came from it. The blade like Chaos Key had a orange guard with yellow handles, along with a ivory chain that wrapped itself around the Heat Nebula's arm. The blade had a small makeshift hilt of short black chains, and a wide blade of ebony which ended in teeth like shape much like those of a key. And extending from the teeth at the tip of the blade was a long blade of light which ended in a sharp gleaming bolt of ivory at the end.

"Isn't it glorious?" Heat Nebula asked, holding the Chaos Key towards Sonic. "It is the key, which will unlock my ambitions and turn them into reality. And now that phase two is completed, phase three can start."

"Sonic...this isn't good at all. That Chaos Key has more energy within than any Super form I've ever seen," Knuckles realized. "Not even those back 4,000 years ago could comprehend something like this."

"Precisely. This is rumored to be the world building instrument which the Enigmatic One used," Umbra Nebula stated. "It's true potential can only be unlocked by those with a godly aura, which I currently lack. But it's main ability can be used by anyone with chaos energy, which is to unlock any lock, seal, or such."

"I don't see how that would be useful to you. You don't have your main body anymore," Sonic shrugged.

"Don't you get it?" Nebula said. "Phase two is the unlocking of the Chaos Key with the world's energy and the energy of the gems and machines. Phase three is to become complete. That blue sphere over is the Sacred Seal, and within it is the body of a God, _my_ body. Once I unlock it, then I can use the Chaos Key and complete my world."

"No!" Sonic shouted, tensing up.

But it was too late. Heat Nebula swung around and aimed the tip of the Chaos Key at the Sacred Seal. At first nothing happened, but then the weapon emitted a beam of light that cut into the Sacred Seal. For a moment the Sacred Seal seemed to hold, but then the figure's eyes within snapped wide open and waves of scarlet and cyan emitted from it, the Sacred Seal falling apart as the heroes shielded themselves from the energy. A presence unlike any other washed over the entire area, and for a moment all was still. And then Nebula revealed himself.

"How I missed this power," God Nebula said, holding his hands out to his sides.

Nebula's true form had the same brilliant orange fur the other bodies had, but this one had a massive orange aura that seemed to drench everything around him. Yellow lines ran up his head, ending in yellow tips on each of his six quill like shapes. The purple markings the other bodies had were instead a brilliant gold, and his muzzle was also golden. Yellow marking also covered his arms and legs, and his eyes were a brilliant golden, though ringed like his other bodies. God Nebula held out his hand, causing the Chaos Key to unravel from the Heat Nebula and fly to his hand, the chain instantly wrapping itself around his arm.

"I can't even read his energy now," Knuckles stated as he grabbed the Master Emeralds, the cores and emeralds just floating in the air. "Maybe you only could if you were on the same level as him."

"I don't get it. How could he be so much stronger than Chaos? They're both gods!" Sonic wondered.

"He's had 4,000 years within a seal to gain more knowledge and power through the rest of his bodies," Shadow stated, looking as the God Nebula launched high off into the air, near the clouds and far above the Ivory City and Ivory Tower. "Besides, Chaos chose to sacrifice a lot of his power to live among us, we've only seen Argus momentarily, and Light and Dark Gaias were released prematurely, so most of their power was unseen. So we've never really seen a God's full power, and Nebula is easily above that due to 4,000 years of growth, and the Chaos Key boosting him."

"How are we supposed to beat him? We need to think of something fast. With that much power, he won't need much time before he destroys our world!" Amy reminded them as the Chaos Cores and chaos Emeralds glowed, some of their power being sent to God Nebula.

"It's simple," Sonic said, floating in the air as the Chaos Emeralds surrounded him and then merged into his body, causing his fur to become a brilliant golden, his aura to flare up, and his eyes to turn a brilliant crimson, "nothing's changed. I'll go Super Sonic on his ass with some help, and it'll be over in a snap. I'll put everything into it."

"Well, you sure have the drive," Alice smiled, attempting to be optimistic. "Go get him, speedy."

"I'll be waiting, Sonic," Amy told him, giving him a quick embrace and kiss just before the Heat and Umbra Nebulas rushed at Super Sonic, killing intent in their eyes. "You can do this. We're all here believing in you!"

"Sonic Wind!" Super Sonic shouted, holding out his hand as waves of golden gusts rushed for the two.

The Heat Nebula quickly stopped, raising his hands above his head as a powerful shock wave of blood red heat rushed out from him, destroying the Sonic Wind around him while Umbra Nebula simply leaped over the blast of heat, launching for Super Sonic. As he fell, the sun directly in his path he held his hand out, the shadows below him magically rising up and twisting their ebony depths to become a massive hand of blackness that rushed towards the Super transformed hedgehog. In that moment, Sonic held out his hand, causing a Light Shield to surround him, though it was much larger and was aided by golden wind.

The shadow hand attacked the barrier multiple times, though the barrier held strong. Finally the barrier dropped and the Shadow Hand split up into multiple ones which grabbed out at Sonic from all sides. The golden furred hedgehog smirked as the shadow hands grabbed at him, attempting to pull the light from his body as they lifted him off of the ground. But the hedgehog held no fear, looking at the Umbra Nebula as he summoned a dome from his shadow to entrap himself and Sonic, shutting out the light from with the Shadow Dome while Heat Nebula charged up a powerful attack from the outside.

"It's over. Do not attempt to interfere in the inevitable," Heat Nebula advised, preparing to strike.

"Sonic Storm!"

The golden light of the rotational sphere attack blasted through the side of the dome, causing it to fall apart. The Umbra Nebula leaped back, creating a Shadow Shield to defend himself only for Super Sonic to instantly warp behind him in a flash of gold. The golden hedgehog quickly smashed him with a fist across his face, causing him to fly back into the ground. And as he landed, Sonic instantly appeared above him, smashing his Sonic Storm directly into his chest and obliterating him. Just as he did that, the Heat Nebula tried to toss a Heat Blade at him, which he quickly zipped out of the way of, the projectile of combustible heat exploding on the ground.

"Nice try, but you're going to have to do better than that!" Sonic smirked, leaping off of the ground and zooming towards Nebula, lifting off of the ground as he broke the sound barrier.

The Heat Nebula hissed, holding out of his hands as he unleashed another shock wave of heat which he tossed forward. The Heat Wave ripped through the air towards Sonic, shifting through everything in its way but the Sonic Boom the blue blur was encased in ripped through the Heat Wave in a wave of gold before Sonic avoided a few more Heat Blades, warping behind Heat Nebula and smashing into him head on. The impact slammed into Heat Nebula with enough force to instantly kill him, knocking him into the side of one of the remaining minor towers.

"And that's how it's done. You hear me, big boy? I'm coming for you!" Sonic boasted, shooting up through the air towards him beyond the speed of sound with his golden aura flaring up around him for one powerful strike. The Sonic Storm built up in his hand, its golden tinge increasing along with its size. "You may be flashier, but I'll take you out in one shot!"

Sonic put everything he had into the strike, golden winds flaring up in a shell around him as his Sonic Boom worked in tandem with his Sonic Storm. Their combined powers allowed him to rip through the air at even quicker speeds, the world becoming just him and God Nebula as everything else became drowned out and he focused everything into the one strike. This would be it, the end of this conflict all in one attack. And then as God Nebula turned around he quickly launched forward, zooming through the world as he thrust his attack forward for his chest.

"Did you really think that would work?" Nebula asked, craning his head towards Sonic. "Did you believe that with the power of a Super form, you could even touch my plane of existence?"

"How...did you stop me?" Sonic asked, his attack fading away as Nebula held his throat effortlessly, suspending the hedgehog in the air. "I was too fast..."

"Too fast?" Nebula laughed, his grip being unbreakable to Sonic. "You don't understand. I am beyond time and space. I am beyond anything you could comprehend. No form of power you could use could even touch me. And with the Chaos Key, I am beyond any god, present or past. Now, I need you gone. Phase four is about to start any second now. The Chaos Key is almost synched with me."

God Nebula let go of Sonic's throat, allowing him to breathe once more. But as he breathed in, Nebula smashed his fist into Sonic's stomach. The impact was only for a moment before Sonic was tossed out of the air, slamming into the roof of the Ivory Tower. The collision created a massive crater that took up almost half of the roof, which Sonic managed to emerge from, his form returning to normal as he panted in and out. If it wasn't for his form, Sonic would have been killed instantly. The blue hedgehog managed to limp out of the impact, Amy coming to hold him as he almost collapsed.

"He beat me effortlessly, even when I attacked at full power. I felt his aura for a moment, and he's so far beyond me," Sonic said hopelessly, realizing all they had done was for nothing. "It's over. We can't even touch power like that."

"Sonic, we can't give up!" Amy said in concern, desperation in her eyes. "We never do, and we always pull through."

"You can say that, but I was the one who felt his power," Sonic said hopelessly. "He's stronger than any of you could imagine. That's the type of power that destroys whole armies in instants."

"And you're gonna give up?" Knuckles asked, smiling with a devious hint. "I'm not as good as Tikal when it comes to this Chaos stuff, but if you used both the emeralds and cores at the same time, plus my Master Emerald, we could come up with a much better power for you now. If you're a Chosen who could naturally absorb this energy and already use his forms without that power, imagine what you could do with that power?"

"The echidna's got a point," Shadow admitted. "You can do better than the Super form. You can't just let these people die.

"Wait...you guys gave me an idea," Sonic realized, his trademark smirk returning. "That's it. I know how to beat God Nebula."

"I knew he would think of something," Rouge said, secretly slightly relieved as she rolled her eyes.

"I have two forms, the Super and the Dusk, light and dark," Sonic explained. "I could use either to boost my power. Or with that much energy and Knuckles' help to direct the energy, I could use both forms at the same time."

"I'm in," Knuckles said enthusiastically, pulling out the Master Emerald. "We don't have time to waste. If Nebula gets through too many more phases we won't have a chance. You're one crazy guy Sonic, but only you could pull this off."

"Yeah, I know," Sonic bragged, the Chaos Emeralds circling him once more, but then being joined by the Chaos Cores.

As he did, he floated up in the air while the Master Emerald in Knuckles' grasp began to glow, the guardian uttering the famous chant of the controllers. With that Master Emeralds began facilitating all of the energies, which then entered Sonic as waves of golden and navy erupted from his body, washing over everything as he began to transform. The heroes could feel the warming presence of this form, and knew almost instantly that they now had a chance. Even in the threat of world destruction, there was still that thing about Sonic that gave them all hope.

"Phase four is ready," God Nebula smirked from far away, ignoring Sonic transformation as he held out the Chaos Key. A large beam of energy erupted form the tip, launching through the air beyond the island before it opened. The portal was much like the ones Ragnarok had used, though it was easily at least ten times larger than the island itself. "After all, I need something to destroy the world. Something like the Harbinger, invincible!"

The massive portal that was more like a massive circular wall against the horizon stood still as all looked on, waiting for what would happen next. And then the beast emerged, its massive head piercing the darkness before the rest of its body followed, which was easily bigger than Central City all by itself. The waves of the ocean were pushed in all directions, reaching tidal wave proportions as the gargantuan form of the beast left the wall like portal, displacing everything around it and separating it into miniscule particles.

The Harbinger was unlike anything any of them had ever seen, including Nebula himself. Its head was lined with black plating and white outlines. The armor seemed to cover its mouth, if it had one, while there were two ebony holes where violet eyes gleamed, piercing through the light. It's upper body was roughly humanoid, but it was hard to tell from the layers of armor that covered it. Two massive arms erupted from massive shoulders with white horns on them, while two massive claws dug into the earth far below the ocean. Behind it stretched four massive ivory wings wrapped in black around the edges, casting a massive shadow that even reached the island.

Behind the Harbinger was its lower body, which was a massive snake like appendage which ended in a tail, all covered in white armor with black outlines. The lower body seemed to curl multiple times, cutting through the world beneath it as its tail curved up into the air in order to not stretch out even further. And ending its tail were large fuchsia flower like shapes of energy, while its claws were tipped in sharp white energy. Five white energy horns stretched out from its head, curving in every direction, while its violet eyes then glowed even brighter, becoming beacons to the world around it. The Harbinger then raised its head, screeching out as Ragnarok Beasts detached from the depths of its body.

"The Harbinger was only created for destruction, cursed to constantly obliterate anything and everything. The 'Ragnarok Beasts' are really just fragments of the Harbinger, fueled only to destroy those not covered in a godly presence like myself and my allies," God Nebula stated. "It is sealed up into a secret void until it needs to be used to destroy, which can only be done with the Chaos Key. The Harbinger truly is the World Destroyer: it cannot be killed, just separated!"

As God Nebula reveled in his next phase being complete, knowing he had only two left, the energy from below finally burst, sending out a presence of navy and gold which washed over all of the air, even slightly disturbing the atmosphere. The God of Rebirth swung around, staring in shock as the energy began to fade. Somehow, Sonic's abilities increased to the point where they could feel each other's power, something that could pose a threat to him. As Sonic's form became revealed, God Nebula looked in even more shock, never having seen anything like it before in his 6,000 years of existence.

"Impossible...what is that? How can he feel my energies?" God Nebula wondered. "What did he do?"

The new form of Sonic shocked them all as he floated above the ground. Sonic's fur was a brilliant golden, though it was much brighter than before, the golden energy seemed to shift and come to life on his fur, like a wild but warm fire. His eyes were still green, though they were a much more radiant jade, coming alive with his very power. The shoes and gloves he wore remained the same, being made by Tails to work with his power, as well as Chip's bracelet, which seemed to have a much brighter glow.

Pulsing dark indigo runes ran across his arms, legs, and quills, along with his back, symbolizing the darkness within him. His chest and muzzle also became a navy shade as well. The aura of Sonic's new form was many times larger than himself, being filled with a mixture of golden and navy. Amy looked in shock as Sonic floated towards her, his power being warming and soothing instead of the harsh and deadly edge Nebula's gave off. Amy looked in awe before Sonic embraced her, giving her a long a passionate kiss which she then returned as the other heroes looked on.

"How did you do this?" Amy asked, breaking away from him. "That power is unreal!"

"It took a little innovation, I guess," Sonic said. "I feel like I'm truly a part of the essence of Chaos...that's it! I'll call this bad boy the Chaos form! Thanks Knuckles, couldn't have done this without you."

"No problem dude, just kick his ass for me, Chaos, and everyone else," Knuckles told him.

"What of that huge thing?" Rouge asked, looking as the Harbinger unleashed waves of Ragnarok Beasts from itself. "It's the source of the Ragnarok Beasts, and looks bigger than any of us could handle. And you can't take on both."

"It's key is God Nebula," Shadow said, barely being able to support himself even with Rouge's help, new bandages wrapped around the arm he used for the Chaos Overload, which he still had little feeling in. "If you can kill him somehow with your power, as he is the core of the Nebula bodies, you could take care of Nebula once and for all. The Chaos Key will then choose you as the next worthy wielder and you can lock it away."

"Good point, dude," Sonic said, giving him a thumbs up as Shadow just rolled his eyes. "But you know what? If I fight Nebula and leave the Harbinger alone, it'll destroy most of the world before I'm done. So, I think someone who would still be able to fight if he was alive could give us a helping hand."

Moments later, the heroes stood over Sonic as he held his hands over Amy, sending her huge amounts of power as she summoned her Heart Medic aura around her hands, putting it over the massive hole in the dead Gemini's chest. Minutes passed by as God Nebula smirked in victory, ignoring the heroes despite Sonic's transformation as the Harbinger suddenly reared its head back before firing forward a massive laser blast at least ten miles long. The nigh-impossibly formidable attack ripped through the ocean all the way to the bedrock below and tore through Adabat, reducing a massive portion of it to nothing in seconds.

For a moment, the heroes felt hopelessness wash over them, believing that not even Sonic's new godly powers could save Gemini from the grip of death. But then suddenly a massive pillar of magenta filled up the space in the hole, firing a beacon of light up in the sky as the pink light washed over Gemini. When the pink light disappeared Gemini's hole was gone, a radiant golden aura surrounding him as he lay limp. Then in the next moment his eyes snapped open, and a rapid change overcame him, his body surging with power.

"Miss me? Good gamble, by the way."

Super Gemini had the same golden aura the other did, while transforming his body. His eyes became a charcoal color, while the black markings covering his body became more bold. The hedgehog's quills floated above his head as his fur became a brilliant yellow where there was once a rosy maroon shade. The black vest outlined in gold that he wore suddenly ripped apart from the energies as a large aura of obsidian washed out form his, golden rimming around the edges as he floated above the roof.

Gemini Rose the Hedgehog was back.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And my longest chapter kicks off the conclusion of this story, World of Ivory. The chapter name is based off of Nebula's pure vision for his world. And for those who want to know, My Body is a Cage was named after the way the character's bodies caged in their true power, when they were capable of much more, for good or worse. It was also named after the song of the same by the indie rock band Arcade Fire. Check out their music, it's kind of hipster but very cool all the same.

An upcoming battle to shake the world is brewing. Can Sonic and Gemini defeat Nebula and stop the Harbinger before the world is destroyed and reborn in Nebula's vision? What will happen with other heroes on the ground, and Tails' group with Cyrus and Lance? What will the fate of the world be? Hang tight for part two, which should come soon after I just adjusted back into school, which starts back in two days.

Also, two forums to shout out to here. Babylon Sky Hawk's Sonic Leaders Forum, of which I am a moderator has many of the best authors from this archive on it, so you should check it out. There's many great creations, people, and ideas to find that. Another is Myzuno's Myz Forum, which is very chill and has something for everyone to talk to other authors about. So check those out after you review this epic chapter!


	58. World of Ivory Part Two

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 58: World of Ivory Part Two

**Location: Sacred Canopy**

"Oh my god!" Amy squealed, hugging Gemini closely. "I thought I would never see you again. Don't ever scare us like that. You're the only family I have left."

"I couldn't just leave you Amy," Gemini replied, embracing her. "I don't want to be a pompous rich dick anymore, or a hero, or an avenger. I just want to live the normal life I was always desired. With the one I love."

"I missed you, Gemini. I can't wait to live a life like that too, away from all of this," Alice stated. "But you still have some work to do. You can't let that giant beast destroy everything we've worked so hard to protect."

"Trust me, I wont," Gemini promised, turning towards Chaos Sonic. "I'll distract the Harbinger and try to break it apart as much as I can while you take out Nebula. Kick his ass for me. He's gonna get what should have came to him a long time ago."

With that Gemini kicked off of the roof, soaring through the air before he launched at the Harbinger in Dark Comet, dodging another massive violet laser blast that dug deep into the Earth's crust, causing magma to spew up. Super Gemini simply weaved through the falling lava, smashing into the side of the beast's arm and causing white and black specks to fall off from the impact. The beast simply roared out again, its tail whipping through the oceans as it still was anchored into place, turning towards Gemini who simply smirked and somehow dodged another gargantuan laser blast.

"You're gonna have to better than that!" Gemini smirked, summoning Dark Cutters to both of his hands while he dived for the Harbinger, only for thousands of white meteors to form in the air and launch for Gemini. "Oh, shit."

Meanwhile, Chaos Sonic rose up through the air, finally stopping his ascent across from God Nebula. Bolts of white lightning fell from the sky, destroying much of the city and the world around them as the Harbinger raged through the oceans regardless of Gemini's distractions, leaving nothing but trails of annihilation in its wake, much of the very space being erased by its attacks. But despite all of that the world remained still to Sonic and Nebula, the two feeling each other's growing energies as they looked for any weaknesses or openings.

Everything boiled down to this final battle between the two. There was no turning back now.

"Impressive power, I must say," Gold Nebula stated, holding out his Chaos Key. "It will be nice to know that I will have a mild challenge before I ascend to a higher plane of existence and change this world."

"I don't think so. So many people have sacrificed themselves for this. You won't win, even if I have to die taking you down with me," Sonic determined. "Besides, I can feel your energy now. You don't stand a chance against a Chosen at this level."

"The optimism won't help you, Mach," God Nebula laughed. "You may have evolved to a higher level, but I am still at a level you cannot touch. My chaos abilities are so strong they distort space and time. I have the power of multiple suns within me. And with the Chaos Key aiding me, I can destroy you effortlessly."

"For the last time, I'm not Mach!" Sonic shouted, waving out his hand. "I'm Sonic, the one who is finally going to end you turmoil and put you to rest, whether you want it or not. I wish things could have been different. But you lost your way too long ago."

"Things could have been different if you chose not to defy me. You could have ruled a peaceful world by Ragnarok's side," Nebula sighed, suddenly drawing his Chaos Key as waves of brilliant white light surrounded it. "Chaos Blade!"

The Chaos Key then rippled, sending a massive beam like extended blade of white light forward which swept through everything as Nebula aimed it at Sonic. The Chaos transformed hedgehog simply held out Chip's gauntlet, summoning a lime and gold Light Shield which the white chaos energy smashed into, rolling off of and dispersing as it worked to no avail. Sonic almost dispersed his shield for a moment but then Nebula swiped out in multiple directions, causing the beam of white to sweep across the sky multiple times, smashing into the barrier over and over again.

Finally after a few sword strikes that lime barrier began to crack under the gold, and then Nebula relinquished his attack, appearing before Sonic in an instant and smashing the Chaos Key into it, causing it to break. Nebula smirked, stabbing forward with his weapon as Sonic was seemingly left helpless, but in that moment the Chaos transformed hero vanished not through Chaos Control but his own raw speed, defying even the speed of light as hundreds of Mirror Speed afterimages formed in the air around Nebula.

"You really thought you had me, didn't you?" Sonic wondered, his voice echoing from all of the hedgehogs. "But I've gotten stronger too. Take this!"

The yellow and blue furred hedgehogs all raced through the air, dashing towards Nebula with deadly intent. God Nebula seemed to be defenseless for a moment but then he thrust out his hands, causing a powerful field of shifted space to launch out from him. As all of the hedgehogs launched for him at unparalleled speeds they suddenly slowed to below supersonic velocities as they entered the Chaos Control. The hedgehogs were launched away multiple times, fading into nothing as God Nebula weaved in between them with great speeds, unleashing crescents of energy from his Chaos Key.

"This isn't good enough," Nebula said with emotion, knocking away every single copy that came towards him effortlessly, though unlike his other bodies, this one had a sense of fluidity and life to its movements, having a deadly grace.

"Yeah? Well how about this?" Sonic roared from the rest of his Mirror Speed copies as they all launched at Nebula at once, attempting to take him from all sides.

"I thought you would have learned from the last time you attempted this. Chaos Blast!" Nebula roared, white energy building up around his body.

Before Sonic could do much Nebula expelled the white energy rippling around his body, unleashing a wild shock wave of ivory chaos in all directions. The explosion was instantaneous, burning away all of the Mirror Speed copies at once. Sonic quickly launched back through the air as fast as he could, barely being scathed by the attack as he stopped across from Nebula once again. The God of Rebirth said nothing, charging up a Chaos Blade before he shot the continuous beam of energy forward.

Sonic quickly sidestepped the attack in a blur as he then fired off a Sonic Wind at the enlightened being. God Nebula simply scoffed, swinging his blade as it carved through the air multiple times for Sonic. The yellow and blue hedgehog vanished multiple times, zipping around Nebula effortlessly as he swung around, deflecting his attacks with little difficulty. The god turned around as Sonic launched for him at two times the speed of sound with a Sonic Boom surrounding him.

Just as he unleashed the powerful blade of white chaos energy the last Chosen suddenly split right down the middle of the sharp beam, smashing into Nebula with a powerful impact before he grabbed the Lord of Ragnarok's head and launched down, tossing Nebula towards the ground with all of his might. The God of Rebirth was in shock at Sonic's impossible speed, and as he looked up Sonic was already beside him, smashing him in the back with two Sonic Storms of gold with navy in the center.

**Location: Ivory City**

"Was that good enough for you?" Sonic asked as the God of Rebirth smashed through a wave of buildings far below, finally stopping in the side of the last one as its other half fell off, the transformed hero floating through the chaos for Nebula.

"I didn't plan to put my all into it until you decided to use more of your strength. Now, I hope we're on the same page," Nebula stated from within the debris. "This is no longer just a fight. This is a fight that has our wills poured into it. When we trade blows, we trade words. And when I win, I will prove that will and beliefs are the ones of true justice."

"Don't count on it," Sonic said, charging up a Sonic Tornado in his hand. "Come out so I can prove _you_ wrong."

"I will give you what you desire," Nebula said, his Chaos Blade emerging in seconds as it sliced across the sky.

Sonic quickly unleashed the Sonic Tornado in front of him to protect himself from Nebula, but the navy and yellow winds were quickly cut through by the white energy that came from the Chaos Key. The navy marked hedgehog was tossed into the ground instantly, raising a cloud of debris as the attack ripped through all of the buildings around them, causing them to split apart and fall. The debris kicked up the winds, causing gusts to roll across the area as the cloud of debris rolled away, revealing the bloody wound on Sonic's chest that was already healing.

Nebula landed on the ground in front of Sonic, stabbing out with his weapon only the blue hedgehog to twirl over it, flipping directly over Nebula. The God of Rebirth swung out for him again, unleashing a barrage of crescents with each swing. The former blue blur smirked, dispelling the crescent with a Sonic Wind from each hand. The Lord of Ragnarok lunged forward, summoning another Chaos Blade as Sonic instantly vanished from its path, causing the long beam to pierce through multiple buildings behind the two.

Sonic suddenly appeared behind Nebula, holding a Sonic Storm in his grasp. But Nebula quickly warped to Sonic's side, tossing him up into the air with a powerful kick before he held the Chaos Key towards the Chaos transformed anthro. Sonic quickly descended, readying a Sonic Maelstrom in his grasp, but then Nebula gathered white energy along his weapon before he fired. The Chaos Repulsion formed a massive concussive blast of white energy which streaked across the sky, tossing Sonic along with it. The last Chosen quickly deflected the last bit of the attack with a Sonic Storm in both hands, pushing himself away.

**Location: Sacred Canopy**

"You are quite persistent despite your recklessness. In many ways, I find myself regrettably admiring you," Nebula stated, emerging from a Chaos Control.

"People tell me that a lot. Or maybe it's my ego," Sonic joked. "You aren't so bad yourself. For someone who keeps trying to push me, you don't seem to be showing all your stuff."

"Neither are you," Nebula claimed, holding his weapon out. As he swung his weapon across the air the chaos energy in the air suddenly formed into large violently rotating drills of orange which aimed for Sonic. "Allow me to push you to your limit. Chaos Rave!"

Sonic soared across the sky, weaving through the clouds as the drills of energy ripped through the air, flying in all directions to tear him apart. The hedgehog attempted to approach Nebula, diving past the drills of energy towards him. The God of Rebirth narrowed his eyes, launching through time and space in a Chaos Control. As he emerged from it, Sonic formed a Sonic Storm in his hand, racing right for him. The Lord of Ragnarok then held out his hand as well, surprisingly forming a tight rotating orange sphere with bladed wind like energy orbiting around it.

There was no mistaking the Sonic Storm that Nebula had created, but the two clashed nonetheless. As their attacks collided against each other, they formed a bright burst of light that sent repelling forces of yellow and orange in all directions, forming a massive cloud of energies above the city. The two continued to push but their energies rolled off of each other, unable to break through. Finally the bolt of light exploded, creating a storm of chaos which tossed the two fighters away from each other. But as Sonic flew back the Chaos Rave slammed into him, creating a burst of orange that tossed Sonic back even farther.

"You underestimate me, Sonic. I have been around far longer than you could even imagine. I have mastered the potential of chaos long before even Xavnu was born," Nebula stated as the now hypersonic hedgehog floated in the air, his aura wrapping tightly around him. "How do you think I could possess others? I can look at any of your attacks or any others once and instantly replicate them. You can reach my level, you can touch it, but you cannot grasp it."

"Shut up already. The talk is getting old," Sonic said, but in that moment the two looked down and instantly used a Chaos Control to warp away. The high powered violet laser beam carved through the sky, dispersing the clouds and leaving only nothingness behind, voids in space. That seemed to cover the sky above them. "That Harbinger doesn't just destroy what it touches, it even erases the space of which it touches."

"Good observation. This way, I can simply build my own world within the void that will be left behind, starting with this empty space around us," Nebula told him, raising his Chaos Key as a beam of light shot through the air from the weapon into the void above them before unleashing a burst of light. "My world will start here, and continue with your demise!"

* * *

**Location: Ivory City**

Tails stared in shock at what had happened before him. Not moments before he had stared death in the face as Cyrus pulled the trigger and a bang erupted from the gun. But then the bullet sailed over his head, deflected by the plated armor on the robot's arm as the familiar figure stood in between the wounded heroes and the two Ragnarok associates. The gray fox hissed, firing off multiple times only for barriers of green data streams to absorb every bullet easily. Lance also tried to attack the mechanical being as well with two blades in his hands but he was quickly shocked by waves of blue electricity before he was kicked back towards Cyrus.

"What are you doing here? What happened to you?" Tails wondered.

"I'm here to protect this world. Only in a place like this was I able to gain the life I desired all along. I can't let anyone else lose an opportunity like that. You saved me, Tails. I'll die for you," Metal told him.

The robotic hedgehog was in his Neo form, but he was still greatly different. Instead of the white markings that covered his body, he had pale green markings, along with calm green eyes. His claws were still sharp, but much less so and much more human like. The mechanical copy of Sonic the Hedgehog stood in front of Tails with a iron will, determined not to let either Cyrus or Lance harm Tails. The world seemed to go still as the injured heroes looked upon the fighters, the tension increasing between them.

The fox looked at Metal, the one who went from a mindless robot to a cold killer, and then to a valiant hero. Then he looked at Cyrus, the one who went from a war hero to a heartless colonel and then a cruel mastermind. And yet the two had both been affected by the brilliant fox himself, neither being where they were without the inventor's influence in one way or another. The fox pulled out an Uzi and then unsheathed his right gauntlet, which then coursed with cobalt electricity while Metal then held out his hands, summoning green bolts of lightning which then concentrated around his claws.

"Double Volt Strike!" Metal shouted, rushing at Cyrus.

The fox then fired multiple Shock Echoes which Metal moved fast enough to avoid, negating most of their force as he ripped up the ground around him, making a beeline for the former GUN Colonel. The fox looked in shock-no one else had ever been able to avoid that attack ever, even with its weakness against high speed targets. The former Eggman's robot roared out, a powerful aura flaring up as he lunged forward through the air, aiming for Cyrus' chest.

In the nick of time Lance kicked him at the side before he held his hand out. Waves of gray energy then formed a massive bazooka in his hands which he then fired towards Metal at point blank range. The force of the explosion tossed the cybernetic robot through the air and down the side of the mountain towards a plaza far below. As he flipped over and landed, splitting the earth beneath him, Lance and Cyrus followed while the wounded heroes looked from above.

"Lance, take care of our adversary. I need to exterminate some heroes," Cyrus said as five anthros of the Hero Army surrounded him, recognizing who he was.

"No problem," Lance smirked, dispersing his bazooka which then reformed in strands of gray energy that then formed a powerful chain gun which was strapped all around Lance's body as he carried it with both hands. "Bring it."

And then as Metal leaped to the side, Lance pulled the trigger.

* * *

**Location: Empire City**

"Dark Comet!" Gemini shouted, gold and ebony surrounding him as he ripped through chest of a Blood Titan, causing it to disperse through the air.

The particles floated in the air before they returned to the Harbinger, absorbing into its armor as it slithered through the city. Gemini quickly summoned a Dark Cannon, launching multiple colossal blasts of obsidian at the World Destroyer. The winged Neo Nerux flying in the air around the gargantuan Harbinger absorbed most of the shots, though some slammed into the side of the beast, causing particles to blow off of the beast's body as it shrieked out. The Super transformed hedgehog swooped through the air as the Harbinger fired a large violet laser.

"Shit, not again!" Super Gemini swore, ascending as fast as he could.

The impact of the blast shot through the city, destroying the very space of everything it touched as it carved through the city. Gemini looked from above as the blast swept through everything, leaving only an empty void behind. The darkness wielder looked at the remaining half of the city that was left behind, and knew that about a million people had probably had their lives robbed from them in seconds in just that one attack. The Rose heir knew that he couldn't let the Harbinger continue on like this just longer, and as he launched towards the Harbinger in a Dark Comet, the massive beast instantly vanished in a flash of white.

"So fast...I can't let him get away," Gemini said, using a Chaos Control from instinct to warp across the world to wherever the Harbinger was going next, leaving nothing but ashes behind in Empire City.

* * *

**Location: Genesis Horizon**

"Isn't it beautiful?" Nebula asked Sonic as the Chaos Key glowed with a bright light, the void no longer being a void.

The space within it was a unnatural and grand space of scarlet which contrasted with the natural orange sky of the rest of the area as the sun grew on the horizon. Within the scarlet space, massive and abstract floating constructs of ivory material formed from ivory blocks and shapes floating around in the abyss, populating the entire area. Nebula floated up into the middle of it all and Sonic followed, knowing that them being up in Nebula's world would be better than far below where GUN and the other heroes could be in even more danger.

"You can put an end to all of this madness, Nebula. Remember who you once used to be. You can save the world you once cared about," Sonic reasoned.

"Shut up!" Nebula shouted, holding back the Chaos Key as a bright sheen of light surrounded it. "I was naive, foolish, and weak. But now...now I see what I have to do. I will put an end to all of this madness, and create the perfect order. Nothing you can do will stop me. I have come too far to let a pathetic _Chosen_ get in my way! Chaos Repulsion!"

Sonic shot to the side, narrowly escaping the streaking force of the massive concussive blast of chaos energy that ripped through the abyss Nebula had created. But the force still grazed against him, sending him flying into the side of an ivory construct. White fragments of an unknown substance flew through the air as Nebula raced forward, stabbing out with a Chaos Blade for Sonic. The long beam of white energy swept through the rest of the white structure, causing it to break apart as Sonic summoned a Light Shield while racing through the abyss.

The golden and navy hedgehog circled through the air before he dived down at the God of Rebirth, a Sonic Storm in his hand. Nebula looked in shock as he withdrew his Chaos Blade, summoning a Chaos Control which created a field of slowed time. Sonic simply smirked, holding out his other hand as he did the same, causing the fields to merge into one another. The two were reduced to normal speed, slamming into each other over and over as they attempted to break through the other's power as time slowed them both to just below supersonic speeds.

"I can't let you destroy it all. People deserve second chances. The Enigmatic One created the idea of life, and you're about to take away that gift," Sonic stated, kicking Nebula's blade before back flipping off of it and launching a Sonic Wind at him.

The gusts of wind pushed Nebula to the edge of the Chaos Control field, but he quickly launched back forward, ignoring the cutting winds as he barreled towards Sonic, firing off multiple Chaos Repulsions at him. The concussive bursts launched through the abyss, smashing into many of gigantic white constructs. The hypersonic hedgehog grunted as his body made a crater in the side of a white construct before he fell to an arcing bridge below. As he got to his feet Nebula was floating above the construct, his energy flaring as he looked down upon his adversary.

"You're right, life is a gift," Nebula agreed. "But that gift is too precious to be wasted anymore. I'll make sure of it."

"And because you're the last god on this planet, you think you'll be able to judge that?" Sonic questioned.

"It's better to have it in my hands than those of a cursed Chosen!" Nebula hissed.

The God of Rebirth suddenly held up his free hand, which he summoned waves of orange lightning to. The powerful bolt was then launched at Sonic, who blocked the impact of the Thunder Arrow with a Sonic Tornado. Nebula then formed a Grand Thunder Arrow, the compact and great bolt brimming with power as he launched it at the speedy hero. Sonic vanished in a blur of speed, racing off of the construct as the impact of the attack cut through the core of the construct. As the pieces of the construct hurled through the space Sonic appeared at Nebula, slamming him with an Axe Kick before he could react.

As the Lord of Ragnarok flew downward Sonic appeared below him with a Sonic Storm in each hand. Nebula fell directly into Sonic's grasp as he slammed Nebula's back with both attacks. The twin high speed bursts of wind sliced into Nebula from both sides, and as the attacks faded and the God of Rebirth warped away from the attack Sonic was already there. Sonic summoned a Sonic Wind and held in his hand to clash with Nebula's Chaos Key, the two pushing against each other as the atmosphere crackled around them.

"You're a fool for opposing me. You could still have your life if you were by my side," Nebula said.

"So I can become like Virgo? No thanks," Sonic rejected.

Nebula roared out, pushing Sonic away with startling strength before he sliced out with his Chaos Key multiple times, sending crescents of white energy through the air which slammed into Sonic, tossing him through the air multiple times. As he straightened himself out Nebula was suddenly next to him, expelling a wave of flames from his hand in the shape of claws with batted Sonic in the opposite direction. Sonic then realized that Nebula wasn't joking; he copied Blaze's Fire Claw almost instantly after seeing it once.

Nebula attempted to hit Sonic with another Chaos Repulsion, but the last Chosen warped out of the way with a Chaos Control before he spun around below Nebula, slamming the God of Rebirth with a Windmill Kick directly in the chest. The last god was tossed through the debris of the floating pieces of one of the destroyed constructs, and as he emerged on the other side he was smashed in the back with a Sonic Wind. The golden gusts smashed Nebula through a massive piece of the white construct, causing even more particles to disperse in the gravity-less abyss.

"Take that. Still think you're gonna win?" Sonic asked, summoning a Sonic storm quickly into his hand.

"It's not a question of if I'll win, but how it will happen," Nebula said, waving out the Chaos Key as massive drills of orange formed all throughout the abyss. "Chaos Rave!"

Sonic raced through the air at hypersonic speeds, drills ripping through the air all around him as he whirled past all of the projectiles launching for him. Nebula could still track his form, sending more and more of the drills at him, but to the normal person he was moving so fast he couldn't be seen. The abyss blurred by as Sonic flew in every direction, though some drills still hit him. Finally Sonic blocked one drill with a Sonic Wind, but then five more overtook him, catapulting him through the air. The yellow and navy hedgehog coughed up blood as Nebula warped by him, slicing him with his Chaos Blade and knocking him onto the top of a white construct.

"Your death is inevitable. Make this easier for yourself," Nebula advised, holding the Chaos Blade out fully. As Sonic got up from the web of cracks his body created he saw how long the blade was, stretching at least sixty meters in a thin beam. "Stop opposing me. This is the world I'm trying to create. A world without struggle, without sadness, without loss, without war. All of the sacrifices to make that happen will be honorable sacrifices. This world is only the start of something greater."

"What would a world be without those things? I'm not saying those things are good, and some are certainly evil, but through those things we are able to grow even more. We would just be spoiled, centered, and naive without even the bad parts to make the good even better," Sonic said. "Even if it hurts a bit, I'd rather hurt a little from all of the knowledge than be blissfully ignorant."

"For one so strong, you have such little understanding," Nebula sighed, holding out his hand as a large pure orange sphere of energy many time larger than himself formed in his open hand. "Grand Chaos Orb!"

"That's Chaos' technique!" Sonic realized before he leaped to the side, warping out of the way before Nebula slammed his attack into the white construct. The force of the impact would have destroyed a whole mountain, but instead blew the white construct into such small pieces that it formed a mist like cloud over that part of the abyss.

"That's not all I have," Nebula replied, firing a Chaos Repulsion directly on Sonic's chest.

The last Chosen coughed up blood as the burst's kinetic impact launched him downwards through the abyss, hurling down with incredible force. Sonic tried to stop his descent, but as gravity began to take hold and the orange layers of sky began to emerge it became too hard for him to do so. Nebula looked down at the formerly blue hedgehog, holding out his arm as white energy began to gather and compact in the molecules within his arm, causing it to become unstable and bright. Bolts flew in all directions as Nebula then activated Chaos Control, causing his arm to become a shade of cyan.

"This will finish you...and the ultimate life form did that for me," Nebula grinned, wincing in pain as he allowed his Chaos Key to disperse while leaving the black chains so he could support his left arm. "Chaos Overload!"

**Location: Sacred Canopy**

Sonic hurled downwards through the Sacred Canopy like a meteor, the clouds flying by him as he fell towards the world far below. And as he did he looked up, though he wished he hadn't. The God of Rebirth was falling down even faster, cutting through the air like a falcon diving for prey as space cut apart around him, the Chaos Overload crackling dangerously. The yellow and navy anthro quickly tapped his gauntlet, causing the improved Light Shield to surround him. But as he did so it gave Nebula the opportunity to hurtle down towards Sonic even faster, seconds ticking by as the two moved at unparalleled speeds.

"This is the end. Die!" Nebula roared, finally catching up to him, grabbing him with his free hand before he slammed his palm into Sonic's stomach and unleashed the attack.

If it was anyone else, then the attack would have been fatal. But the burst of cyan that washed over the entire abyss and Sacred Canopy tossed Sonic though the air, harsh wounds covering his entire body as he slammed into the roof of the Ivory Tower. The force of the impact sent energy flying in all directions and pushed the heroes back as what was left of the scarred roof became an uprooted battleground. As Sonic managed to get up, his wounds only healing slightly from the powerful attack Nebula landed before him. The God of Rebirth's arm was smoldering slightly, but unlike Shadow his wounds healed in instants while the Chaos Key formed in his other hand, glowing ominously.

"Yet you still persist," Nebula sneered, a portal forming behind him as Resurrect Nebula emerged from it.

Sonic tried to attack, but in that moment an ebony portal formed below him and the rotting bones of the dead emerged from it, holding Sonic in place as Nebula approached slowly. The God of Rebirth laughed as Sonic attempted to struggle but to no avail. The heroes looked in shock as they tried to interfere but in their hearts they could feel Nebula's powerful aura now, and they knew that they would only get in the way. Sonic coughed up blood as he stared defiantly into Nebula's eyes, the latter holding out his hand as a small ethereal flame of scarlet formed in it. Despite the flame's size sonic could feel the life force coming from it-it was if it was a part of Nebula himself.

"In the end, you'll have nothing to gain from this," Sonic said rebelliously.

"I'll have everything to gain," Nebula laughed. "If you cannot understand me by fighting me, then you can by becoming a part of me through my Divine Essence technique. I will eat out your life, and replace it with my own. Then you'll see this wretched world through my eyes."

All of the heroes looked in shock at the prospect of Sonic becoming one of Nebula's bodies, but there was nothing it could do. It was just too late. By the time they realized the gravity of the situation, Nebula plunged the Divine Essence into Sonic's heart.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: And this part ends with a frightening prospect at the conclusion! Will Sonic become a part of Nebula? Will the Harbinger destroy the world and replace it with Nebula's vision? What will happen to Metal and Tails? And what will the fate the world be? Review and hang tight for the conclusion to the World of Ivory finale before the epilogue!


	59. World of Ivory Part Three

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 59: World of Ivory Part Three

_Sonic found himself in the world of his mind for the last time in the Ivory War. It was mostly unchanged except for one disturbing fact. The sun above was instead made of blood red rings, with orange waves washing over the sky. As he walked slowly towards the massive tree ahead of him which was the home of Xavnu's conscious, he felt terribly weak and strong all at the same time, which frightened him. Even though Nebula had inserted his own life into Sonic, the fabric of his mind was very quiet and peaceful, creating an eerie feeling._

"_Xavnu...I need you," Sonic whispered, his voice being cut off as something grew within him. "Something's inside of me, trying to get out. Help me."_

"_This isn't good," Xavnu said, forming in strands of cyan wind behind him. "I can't help you directly. Fighting back Corrupt was all I could do with my strength. You're on your own against this."_

"_I don't know what to do," Sonic said, looking as an infection of orange energy spread over his body, purple markings writing themselves upon his face as the orange spread out from him, washing over the entire mind scape. "He's taking over me. Feeding off my hate. I'm ashamed to say it, but I'm looking through his eyes. All of those things he's witnessed. All of the things he had to suffer through. I didn't know people were capable of things like that."_

"_..." was all Xavnu could reply._

"_Are we fighting on the wrong side?" Sonic asked, the orange infection feeding off of his despair. "All Nebula is doing is not surrendering the paradise he thought this world should have become. I can't fight any more for something I can't believe in. This world has so much evil in it, and Nebula and so many others sacrificed their lives so that evil could never exist. And here we are, trying to keep it alive."_

"_I can't change your mind," Xavnu said. "Even if you are a Chosen, you can still decide your own path. But what I know is that you need to remember, despite now knowing what Nebula has really gone through, you need to remember why you fight. All the things that Nebula will destroy if he succeeds. There is much evil, but you have to remember the good that would be destroyed along with it. Remember what you're fighting for."_

"_I've grown so much because of you," Tails admitted, the yellow mist taking on his form._

"_Dude, I didn't do anything," Sonic replied, turning to face him as the infections slowed its progression._

"_But you did," Tails said. "We were just friends before. But you...you changed me. You showed me what it means to be a real hero. To live life to its fullest. To do what's right. Without you, I would have been on my own and never discovered what I could do as a hero. I would be another Cyrus."_

"_Thanks bro. Don't worry about Cyrus. I'll see you soon," Sonic promised. "Hang tight there."_

"_I used to hate you so much," the ghost of Knuckles said, appearing in Tails' place. "You were such a free spirit, moving like the wind. You stared death in the face every day and then defied it, just for the hell of it. Deep down, even after I knew Eggman tricked me and you weren't the enemy, I was so jealous of the way you lived life."_

"_Yeah, you used to tear me to pieces every time we crossed paths," Sonic chuckled, reminiscing of a simpler time. "But you were so stuck in your ways. I never regretted anything I did, but I wondered what it would be like just to have a little security of the future every time I saw you. Maybe I was wrong about that, too."_

"_Not at all. Without you, I don't know what would've happened to me," Knuckles admitted. "You finally gave me the courage to take the Master Emerald with me and leave my curse behind. To find my own way in the world. It's the greatest gift one could give."_

"_Don't flatter me," Sonic requested._

"_I'm not. You've touched so many precious lives. Even now, even if Nebula won't admit it, you're making a mark on him too. Don't let him get to you," Knuckles told him, giving him a thumbs up before disappearing._

"_You were, and in many ways still am the antithesis to everything I ever stood for," Shadow said, the shades of him and Rouge appearing in front of Sonic. "You moved on a whim and of perfect valor. I always had the perfect drive. Every thing I did was on purpose. You were the pure, warm hero of the people; I was the dark knight, fighting for things less glorious, moving in the shadows."_

"_Guess that's why we always fought, huh?" Sonic chuckled._

"_I always hated your humor. A possible apocalypse doesn't change that," Shadow muttered, rolling his eyes._

"_You can do this, Sonic. You know of all of the hardships Nebula has gone through. He isn't just a bad guy, but he threatens everything we stand for," Rouge said. "Now you have to make the hard decision here. It's up to you. No pressure though."_

"_Over fifty years ago, I made a promise to Maria, to protect this world and the people on it, so they have a chance to be happy despite their flaws," Shadow recalled. "So, why shouldn't you do the same? Because even in all of the evils, there is a shred of good we should fight for that makes it all worthwhile. Don't give in just yet."_

"_Thanks guys," Sonic said, a smile returning to his face._

_In that moment, hundreds of particles filled the infecting valley, the colors coming together to form the ghosts of every person who he's touched in his life. They filled the air around him, and even the blue blur was driven to tears as he remembered all of the people he had been fighting for all along. Out of the group Gemini, Aersus and Amy stepped forward, floating front of the hedgehog. The blue hedgehog felt the orange energy plaguing his body shriek out as Sonic's will became greater, his body responding to it._

"_I don't know you very well," Aersus said. "But I know Gemini and Amy believed in you. My buddy was willing to make the hard, right choice, and abandon Ragnarok and me for what was right. I wish I would have grown up and fought back sooner myself."_

"_It's cool man. We all know what you did," Sonic said. "You didn't know better when you challenged Frost, Nightmare, and Nebula, but you're a hero in our eyes."_

"_Same for me too buddy. It's been like an hour since we last saw each other in death, but I forgive you," Gemini told Aersus. "Tell Virgo I said hi, by the way. You know, Sonic, you've changed all of our lives."_

"_I'm not that powerful. I'm not too sure about that," Sonic disagreed._

"_I was consumed by revenge. All I wanted was Ragnarok to die for making me and Aersus kill Virgo," Gemini said. "You were just a tool for me to get closer to that. But through you and Amy I remembered what I wanted all along, and then I still wanted to destroy Ragnarok, but my motives changed. And now my hate is gone and Ragnarok is finished, thanks to you."_

"_No problem dude. I guess we're friends, huh?" Sonic asked._

"_Yeah, I guess we are," Gemini said, smiling._

_And then she stepped forward, floating directly in front of Sonic._

"_I still remember how I chased you everyday since you saved me from Metal Sonic on the Little Planet," an apparition of Amy said, the pink mist only retaining the basic shape of her form as she stepped forward._

"_I was too free to let you in. Deep inside, I was afraid," Sonic admitted. "But I don't regret it. I think I appreciate you more for that now. I can't let Nebula have his way. I can't lose you and so many others. There are too many good things that would be destroyed along with the bad. Because after all, it made me grow stronger."_

"_It's nice to have you back," Amy smiled, blowing him a kiss. "Now get out there. End Nebula's terror once and for all."_

"_I won't let you down. If the Harbinger is the World Destroyer, then I'll be the World Protector!" Sonic declared._

_In that moment the orange all around the Mind Scape of Sonic's mind began to break apart, fading in the way of the shining blue which glowed through Sonic's aura. Then as Sonic flew out of his mind he saw the faces of all of those he fought to protect even against Nebula's tragedy and hate. And he knew that he couldn't fail, that he wouldn't fail. Because in the end, it was up to him. He wouldn't let Nebula destroy everything he believed in._

_Ragnarok's destruction was the beginning, and Nebula's would be the end._

"This is the end," Nebula said as orange energy rolled off of Sonic. "You heroes have lost. With Sonic as my body, my ambitions will finally become reality."

"Your reality's never going to happen!" Sonic roared.

In that moment, the orange energy ripped off of Sonic, tossing Nebula back to the edge of the roof and effortlessly destroying Resurrect Nebula. The God of Rebirth managed to stop at the edge of the destruction, the heroes covering their eyes as Sonic revealed himself. To their relief he was completely himself and relatively normal, save for his Chaos transformation. And just like Nebula, purple markings were written across Sonic's lower face, bordering his muzzle and down to his neck and quills. He touched his heart quickly and felt Nebula's essence within him. But it did not corrupt him.

It gave him the power of understanding. Just like that, he had an answer.

"I knew the secret weakness of your Divine Essence the moment I felt it," Sonic said. "It can corrupt, it can make you want to give up from the agony. But in the end, you have to resign your will to let it work. Otherwise you won't be able to get through. And I wouldn't let you do that. Xavnu wouldn't either."

"Think about it. All of those people had to resign to my will, to live on again," Nebula replied. "So in the end, they all agreed with my vision. If you can't move on to my world, then you deserve to die in the last minutes of this one!"

"We're moving locations," Sonic stated, forming a Chaos Control behind Nebula. The God of Rebirth spun around, but in that moment the former blue blur was there in a flash, launching him through the portal in moments. "Back to the void we go! I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

"You better come back," Amy said, quickly running up to him and kissing him, "or Nebula will have to worry about me!"

"I will," Sonic said, though they both knew Sonic had very little time to stop God Nebula. "I'll be back in a flash!"

And then he stepped through the portal, to end this fight once and for all.

* * *

**Location: Genesis Horizon**

When Sonic emerged, he found himself back in the abyss Nebula was forming his world from, and in their absence the Chaos Key had been constructing much more of the God of Rebirth's "perfect" world. The white constructs took on all shapes, from satellite like cities to meteors hurling through the air and platforms scattered all about in the zero gravity environment. The orange hue of the abyss pulsed all around them with waves of energy, and the abyss began forming in much of empty space that the Harbinger had left behind, and Sonic had a terrible feeling that was happening all around the world at the same time.

"It's clear that this won't last much longer. No matter what, you can't win," Nebula stated.

"I could just beat you until there's nothing left," Sonic smirked, holding his hand out as he formed a Sonic Storm in it.

"There's a reason I'm the God of Rebirth," Nebula replied. "No matter what you do, I refuse to die. I will return in some form, and I will destroy you. I will not die like the other gods. They all chose power over endurance, but I chose the opposite. I will be reborn!"

"I'll find a way!" Sonic roared, suddenly shooting through the air in a meteor of yellow as he barreled towards Nebula, obsidian trailing out behind him. "I'll still win!"

"Your reasoning is highly illogical," Nebula said, frustrated with his opponent as he held out his Chaos Key, cutting through the afterimage of Sonic before he blocked his advance with his weapon, which was now surrounded with a heavenly glow. "I told you cannot truly destroy me. Why can you not accept that fact?"

"Because I have to find a way. There is no other choice. I will beat you. I have to beat you," Sonic said, pushing away from Nebula as he gathered a large aura around himself, landing on a long circular platform far below.

"I'll be happy to disappoint! Chaos Rave!" Nebula bellowed, waving his blade out as five gargantuan drills of energy formed behind him and then launched downwards through the abyss.

Sonic looked as the drills did not aim for him, instead melding with each other and smashing into the side of the platform. The drill then ripped along the ground, whirling violently as it overtook Sonic. Nebula looked in satisfaction at the destruction he had created, but the yellow and navy hedgehog then unleashed a Sonic Maelstrom which repelled the last of the powerful attack, leaving the hero unscathed. The hedgehog then held out his hands, unleashing a massive cyclone of navy with yellow within that slammed into Nebula.

The God of Rebirth roared out, fighting against the cycling winds before he sliced out, unleashed a Chaos Crescent that cut directly through the Sonic Tornado. But as the winds Sonic launched through them, ramming his Sonic Storm into Nebula's back. The burst of winds tossed the Lord of Ragnarok through the abyss, the golden winds continuing to lash out at him. As he hurled back through the air he smashed through one of the planet like constructs before he slammed into the side of a wall of debris, causing it to shatter.

The pieces broke apart, dispersing throughout the air as hundreds of fragmented pieces of ivory floated in space. Sonic zipped forward, smashing Nebula across the face with a powerful punch that shot him through the air. But God Nebula leaped off of a piece of debris, holding the Chaos Key out. The Chaos Blade carved through the air, Sonic only surviving because he warped out of the way. Nebula kicked off of the piece of debris as a barrage of golden gusts launched past him, followed by Sonic unleashing a downwards kick which the Lord of Ragnarok avoided by warping instantly.

"I control all of reality!" Nebula roared, appearing farther away as a yellow halo formed above his head in an instant, along with six angel wings of energy stretching out from his back. The Chaos Key glowed ominously in a bright light, shining through the abyss as the black chain that warpped around Nebula's arm being turned to gold. "The Chaos Key is now fully synched with me. Even having part of me within you won't save you!"

"Looks like you're already lost," Sonic said, zipping high into the air before he looped around and came down, firing off a concentrated core of yellow and navy winds. "Sonic Maelstrom!"

Perfect God Nebula waved out his Chaos Key, causing the Chaos Rave drills to ripple through the abyss and smash into the powerful attack. The premature vacuumed explosion tore apart everything around them, tossing Perfect God Nebula back. The Lord of Ragnarok wrapped his wings around himself, protecting his body from the white construct as Sonic pursued. Nebula warped to the top of it, waving out his Chaos Key once again as the massive drills sailed through the air.

The hypersonic hedgehog launched through the void at unparalleled speeds, avoiding the orange bursts of energy that were left behind. As he swung around he fired off multiple Sonic Winds, sending chunks of the white material in all directions as the winds ripped up everything on its way to Nebula. The now Perfect powered god simply summoned hundreds of drills to his side which ripped through the winds, creating a powerful offensive and defensive.

_This should be impossible. Now that me and the Chaos Key are fully synched, I should be more powerful than I've ever been,_ Nebula realized to himself as Sonic's speed increased dramatically, causing ten versions of himself to appear around Nebula. _And yet, he's somehow winning. Everything about it is completely illogical._

Then the hedgehog kicked away Nebula's weapon and slugged him across the face with enough force to knock the head off the neck of any normal person. Sonic landed on the top of the construct as Nebula launched through the bottom of it against above supersonic speeds, causing him to collide with the large horizontal platform below with great force. As he got to his feet he tucked his wings around himself, deflecting a Sonic Tornado as the hyper powered anthro himself landed on the platform. The two stared each down as the platform deteriorated from their raw strength, knowing their were only minutes away from the realization of one of their realities coming to fruition.

_I can't believe it. The hedgehog's powers are completely unique to him and the ultimate life form who is in his likeness. Sonic draws his power from his will, which is why he was so much stronger after I tried to infect him with my energy,_ Nebula deduced. _The fact that he can stand up to me even in my Perfect form proves he surpassed Xavnu a long time ago and no one realized it._

"Is someone getting tired?" Sonic teased. "I'm not going to drag this out. I'll guarantee you, even if you can't believe it, that you'll be dead in the next five minutes."

"Bold words," was all Nebula said. "But I'm still the strongest being on the planet. Chaos Repulsion!"

Sonic looked in shock as the entire platform all instantly blown apart in white bursts of energy. As Sonic sailed back through the abyss, wounds covering his body Nebula suddenly appeared far behind him, holding his other hand over the Chaos Key as he uttered the name of the attack once more. The giant Chaos Repulsion was a concussive force that streaked across the sky, disintegrating everything in its wake as Sonic was rocketed through the Genesis Horizon, the raw force ripping apart the space around the formerly blue hedgehog.

As Nebula shot directly towards him Sonic quickly held both hands out behind him, firing off two Sonic Winds to slow himself to a halt. The Perfect god glared at his adversary, quickly holding out a Chaos Blade which he then swung around towards Sonic. The Light Shield instantly formed around Sonic, causing no damage but tossing him back through the air. As the barrier faded Nebula roared out, holding out his hand as an orb of mystical lightning formed around it.

The replication of Tikal's Heavenly Justice sent arcs of white lightning in all directions, smashing into Sonic from multiple angels and sending shocks of energy through his body. Sonic hissed from the pain, but roared out, suddenly launching his way through the attack with a Light Sonic Storm in hand. The green and golden sphere was smashed directly into the gut of Perfect God Nebula, and as the winds tore through the God of Rebirth, Sonic was sure that he had won.

But then, to his shock, the form of Nebula burst apart into strands of white energy. Sonic couldn't believe his eyes as what he thought was Nebula faded into the air along with own attack with the Chaos Replication, but that wasn't all. Sonic suddenly stopped in his tracks, coughing up heavy amounts of blood as his eyes grew wide. He slowly craned his neck to look at his chest, where the Chaos Key was sticking all the way up to the handle through his back and out his chest. Nebula grinned in satisfaction as the blood hovered in the zero gravity environment and Sonic slumped over slightly, fighting to stay alive.

* * *

**Location: Ivory City**

Lance leaped up, landing on Metal's shoulder with one foot while he kicked him directly in the face with the other, causing the metal to break in a little as the robotic hedgehog was tossed back. The wolf then flipped over while in the air, summoning two Uzis and unleashing a barrage of bullets. Metal was tossed back across the ground by the impact, his hard exterior being the only thing that saved him from death as the Ragnarok associate canine landed on the opposite side of the plaza.

"You don't stand a chance!" Lance cackled, burst firing with his weapons as Metal leaped from place to place, strands of pale green data following him. "You're just running now. Those heroes can't help you. You can't beat me and Cyrus. You should have died a long time ago, when you foolishly created another Argus Event."

"I have learned from my mistakes," Metal simply stated, leaping through the air and rushing towards Lance while Cyrus watched gleefully, "but clearly you haven't."

"Go to hell," Lance hissed, dodging Metal's Volt Strike as his electrified claws slammed through the concrete where the wolf once stood.

The robot ripped his claw out of the ground, only for Lance to sink one of his blades through the robot's plating before kicking him into the side of a building. As Metal formed a crater in the building the wolf quickly summoned a grenade launcher into his hand. The robot dispersed into streams of green which carried him through the air and around the deadly explosions Lance was causing. The wolf finally ran out of ammo, and as he was about to shift his weapon the data streams well up around him in waves.

Lance was constricted under the data as Metal reformed back into his original self, drawing energy from the ground as he stared at the wolf trying to struggle his way to freedom. The robotic hedgehog knew what he had to do despite his new hatred of killing, summoning green electricity to his hands as he angled his Volt Strike for Lance's head. But just as he thrust forwards he swung to the side. Cyrus dodged Metal's attack, twirling through the air before he thrust his leg out and smashed it into Metal's chest.

The impact caused a dent to form in Metal's side and the force of it tossed him away from Lance. The robot skidded across the ground, finally coming to a halt against a broken fountain as his broken concentration broke Lance free of his restraints. The wolf grinned manically, holding out his hands as surprising weapons formed around him. Two Harbinger Missile Launchers were rooted by his sides as the Harbinger Missile Controller was then in Lance's grasp, which he aimed at Metal. He would destroy his adversary, the civilians, GUN, and the Ragnarok Beasts, but it would all be worth it.

"Overdrive!"

Before Lance could do anything Metal suddenly launched at him, his rockets flaring as lethal green electricity formed around him, increasing his velocity. Before Lance could use the Harbinger Missiles he somehow learned to replicate the green electricity smashed into his body, tossing him into a building that then collapsed on top of him. Lance's screams were drowned out by the falling of the skyscraper, sending debris and dust all over the place as his demise came to fruition. Cyrus narrowed his eyes at his comrade's death, but showed nothing more as he turned to face Metal, drawing both of his claws from his gauntlets.

"Despite my comrade's death, you have now ran out of energy," Cyrus stated as Metal panted, falling to his knees. "This will be my easiest kill in a long time. For one so strong, you could have done much better if you stopped following your heart and planned out for a long run fight where you could be much more ruthless."

"I've learned that the heart is a precious gift, and you've thrown it away. Now you have no one else to rely on and I do, which is why you have lost," Metal said, and Cyrus turned around to find the wounded Tails barely standing, his Energy Launcher pointed directly at his back.

"You won't do it," Cyrus grinned, already foreseeing what would happen once again as energy glowed at the tip of the large barrel. "You don't have the guts or courage to truly take an anthro or human's life. Ix and Xi were freaks of nature. But you see yourself in me. Now, put your weapon down."

"It's about time your terror left this planet," Tails hissed surprisingly, closing his eyes as all he saw were the people Cyrus had killed. And then he pulled the trigger.

Cyrus looked in shock as his heart was blown by the impact of explosive orange energy shell, the electricity around him fading away as his life finally faded. Tails looked in sadness, taking the full emotional brunt of what he had done as Cyrus fell to the ground, staring up at his killer as the two saw themselves in the other. The war raged around them as the cold look in Cyrus electric blue eyes faded, and Tails breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his greatest enemy was finally dead.

* * *

**Location: Genesis Horizon**

Sonic felt himself float in the abyss as blood escaped his body, the Chaos Key being ripped from his body as the energy melted the blood off of Nebula. The hedgehog felt the wound heal on its own, leaving behind only heavily wounded skin at the cost of much of his energy. Nebula narrowed his eyes at the sudden healing of Sonic's injury, though he still knew that the last Chosen was still on the verge of death. Sonic spun around, his energy flaring up as Nebula did the same, feeling their battle come closer and closer to an ultimate end.

"No more words need to be spoken," Sonic said. "The one who is right will end up winning this battle."

"I agree with your proposal, Sonic the Hedgehog," Nebula replied, holding out his weapon as it glowed, sending golden particles off of it. "Chaos Control!"

"Chaos Control!" Sonic bellowed in return.

Two fields of inverted light representing the fields of distorted chaos expanded out from the both of them, covering a large portion of the area. The two moved at speeds beyond tracking to any normal person, but as the Chaos Control took effect they slowed down to supersonic speeds, clashing off of each other's attacks as ripples in space cut through the atmosphere. Finally the two began visible again, waves of yellow mixed with ebony and orange rolling in all directions as Nebula's Chaos Repulsion clashed with Sonic's Sonic Storm.

"I'm not done yet!" Sonic shouted, attempting to push through.

"I won't let you destroy my dreams! My hopes for what is left that is good in this world!" Nebula declared, pushing back just as hard.

Then the energies released, creating a brilliant burst of power that tossed the two away from each other and across the abyss. Nebula quickly waved out the Chaos Key, sending even more drills of energy at Sonic, who simply summoned a Sonic Tornado in front of him which took in the attacks and returned them to his opponent. The God of Rebirth cut through his own attacks before he warped in front of Sonic and launched directly at him, thrusting out with a Chaos Blade for the kill. The golden hedgehog focused his energy as the navy runes all over his body pulsed before he zipped through the abyss faster than he could be traced.

The orange furred god suddenly found himself whirling around from a powerful punch to the face before he was kicked across the chest by a Windmill Kick. As the Perfect god reeled back Sonic suddenly followed him, forming a Sonic Storm in both hands. The last Chosen slammed both attacks into him but it turned out to be a Chaos Replication once again, the real Lord of Ragnarok suddenly stomping Sonic down before he fired an instantaneous Chaos Repulsion after him. The energy blast collided with Sonic, tossing him into the side of a white construct four times the size of a regular one.

"Chaos Repulsion!" Nebula snarled, firing off a barrage of concussive blasts which tore off parts of the white construct as he flew deeper into its depths. "Come out here Sonic. I'm done playing games."

"Who said I'm playing any?" Sonic grinned, rushing towards Nebula with a wave of concentrated golden winds in each hand. "Sonic Maelstrom!"

"Chaos Blade!" Nebula called back, extending his deadly attack.

Even though the two vacuums of energy winds slammed full force into Nebula, the God of Rebirth knew it was worth it as the blade pierced straight through the charging form of Sonic. The Lord of Ragnarok hissed as the winds cut into him from every side, tearing at his wings and ripping into him, but as he looked up, reveling in his victory the Mirror Speed copy of Sonic then faded. Another copy then appeared behind Nebula, firing off another Sonic Maelstrom before fading. The impact of three vacuums fused into each other with Nebula at the center, ripping through him and creating a brilliant shine that pierced the abyss and was perfectly visible from the Sacred Canopy below.

"And here's the finale!" Sonic called out, rocketing through the abyss towards the giant white construct at hypersonic speeds, waves of gold and navy rolling off of him. "Sonic...Boom!"

Nebula turned around, attempting to fight back as Sonic rushed for him, but it was too late. The impact of the attack within the Sonic Maelstroms destroyed the entire construct in one move, causing it to fall apart. Nebula was tossed back, the shredding winds finally relenting as he managed to right himself, the debris dispersing around him. The wounds covering his entire body from the winds were slowly healing but he was in the same situation as Sonic-lots of injuries, and with little energy left over to continue fighting.

"It comes down to this," Nebula said. "My arsenal of techniques are nigh-limitless, but in the end, I have only one option to finally eliminate you and all else who oppose me."

"It doesn't matter what you can do. I still can't let you succeed," Sonic said. Their sides were clear.

"Very well. If you persist my efforts to kill you, then I will simply destroy every last piece of you and those outside that have come here at once," Nebula said, flying backwards a good distance before holding his Chaos Key, which glowed a pure white from the power being used. "Chaos Oblivion."

The attack was sudden, but in that moment distortions of white energy filled the entire abyss and much of the city below it, leaving only Nebula untouched. As the energy washed over the space it began to collapse, and Sonic realized why it was his greatest technique-he was destroying space and time itself instead of manipulating it like a Chaos Control. The hedgehog cried out, the leftover essence of Nebula acting within him as the markings on his face glowed, reacting to the sudden power that Nebula had unleashed.

"I will destroy everything, and create the perfect reality from its ashes," Nebula vowed, pouring his energy into the attack as the abyss and parts of the city below began to fade into a void. "No matter what you do, space and time itself will swallow you."

Sonic surrounded himself protectively with a Light Shield, but in the end it proved to do nothing as the white energy erased his shield before the white constructs, most of the abyss, and even the cities and the people within them below began to distort and collapse. All Sonic could see then was a sheet of light as the Chaos Oblivion touched everything, and Nebula laughed, knowing that there was no way he could be beaten now.

Sonic had a plan as he closed his eyes, feeling through all of his energies. He had only one option left, and though it had a slim chance of succeeding, it was the only hope he had. The only hope Earth had. It had all come down to this moment. He would win or fail, here and now. And somehow, despite everything that had happened, he was ready. He wouldn't fail, he would save everyone, save this world, and bring the peace it finally deserved,

"Release!" Sonic called out, opening his arms and spreading his limbs wide.

Nebula looked in shock as Sonic continued to yell, unleashing every ounce of energy he had in his body at once. The waves of golden and obsidian spread across the area, shining through the white as Nebula could only stare in shock, unable to believe Sonic's will had become so strong. The energy continued to pour out, becoming another sun on the planet as everything stopped and beheld what was happening above and around them. The Earth shook as if it was being torn apart while Sonic continued to unleash all of the power in his body despite the Chaos Oblivion swallowing everything it touched.

"You can't stop me!" Nebula stated as Sonic's energy washed over him and the rest of the area, blowing the God of Rebirth back slightly. "My power is too great! You're only slowing down the inevitable!"

"I'm not trying to stop your technique directly," was what Sonic replied. "I'm showing the Chaos Key who's stronger!"

Nebula realized what he was doing as Sonic's energy smashed into him, but it was too late. The golden chains boding Nebula to the controller of the Chaos Cores snapped and disintegrated, and even as he grabbed out for his weapon, seeing the impossible play out before him, the weapon flew into Sonic's grasp, new golden chains wrapping themselves around his arm and restoring the Chaos form that faded for just a moment.

For those few seconds, Sonic knew what it was like to truly feel like a god. Energy surged through him faster than he could even comprehend, and for a moment he as bonded with the true essence of chaos, the force that controlled this world and every other world. He felt nothing short of invincible. But as the power surged through him Nebula hissed, still powering the Chaos Oblivion with his own raw strength as the white swallowed everything, collapsing the world around the island piece by piece. Sonic allowed one moment of piece to pass, and then he poured all of the rest of his will into one single Chaos Control.

Sonic and Nebula couldn't tell, but the world around them, maybe even everywhere, faded into a pure light. Then, for a moment, there was nothing.

Then, there was everything.

_To Be Continued..._

A/N: The cryptic ending to the World of Ivory conclusion leaves us at the brink of the world changing forever. Who will survive in Ivory City? Who will truly win? What will the Chaos Control and Chaos Oblivion cause? Will the world truly be safe? Or will the Harbinger still destroy everything they know forever?

The final chapter will come out soon enough, and I hope the grand epilogue to this story will satisfy you all. This chapter however, ended at beyond 6k+ words, and concluded what I believe is the greatest battle I have ever written. I hope you guys agree! At the end of the next chapter, I will give a big author's note that will let you guys know what may happen next after this story, so hold your questions until then!


	60. Epilogue: End of an Era

**Crisis of Ivory**

Chapter 60: Epilogue: End of an Era

**Location: Angel Island**

Sonic opened his eyes, and the light faded.

The Chaos Key laid on the ground beside the blue blur, who had returned to his normal state with the Chaos Emeralds and Chaos Cores laying around him. The Chaos Control had truly followed his will, with every GUN soldier and hero standing around him in shock by Tails' Workshop, wondering how they got to the floating island. As they looked over the edge of the heavily destroyed island at the world below, they could not believe what they saw before their eyes.

"Look at it all. The world paid such a price," Amy said, clinging to Sonic's side as tears fell her eyes.

All over the landmasses below, trails of destruction were left behind. The Harbinger raged throughout the world below, mindlessly destroying everything it touched. The waters below were violent and beautiful metropolises, forest, and landmasses had been leveled to wastelands. Off in the distance, the Genesis Horizon had disappeared, leaving only atmospheric disturbance behind and it along with the Ivory City and Ivory Tower had been eradicated, leaving behind a void of pale white that had no space or time within or around it. To them, it looked like the edge of the world.

"The World's Key Plan is over. There is no point to the plan if all that is left is nothing," the voice of Nebula said. Sonic turned around to find him laying on the ground, a shadow of his former God of Rebirth self. Wounds covered his entire body and the shining aura around him had disappeared, along with the glow of his yellow covered parts. Particles of orange floated up into the air, escaping his body.

"I can't believe my will saved you too," Sonic said, him, Amy, and Knuckles standing over him. "Maybe on the inside, I still wanted to show you the hope in this world."

"I'm not sure it matters. I am dying. In the end, you and Xavnu are still victorious. It's over," Nebula stated, looking up at Sonic. "Give me the Chaos Key. When I die, the Chaos Key will go with me, and the Harbinger can't exist in the dimension without it."

"That means you would be saving the world. You would be putting in my hands, the hands of Xavnu, the hands of a Chosen," Knuckles pointed out.

"I am aware," Nebula said, sighing deeply as he looked up into Sonic's eyes. "You don't trust me, do you?"

"No. Why should I believe you?" Sonic wondered, being on the verge of collapsing.

"Maybe you shouldn't," Nebula replied, holding out his hand up slowly towards the sky, as if he was grasping for something. "But I'm asking you, the world is asking you, to take a leap of faith. I have no reason anymore. That weapon cannot save me from death, and it is bound to the life of the one who connects with it."

"I shouldn't believe you, but I do. At least, that's what your part inside of me is telling me," Sonic said. Moments passed, but then suddenly, two teardrops fell from Sonic's face.

"I thought you would be happy to see this. To see the conflict end. To see your world in peace, away from my destructive hands," Nebula stated, his hand falling to the ground as he lost his strength.

"This isn't how I wanted it to end. So many lost their lives, and they will never know what will happen next," Sonic said, wiping his face. "This wasn't your fault. Ragnarok was born from the sins of this world, and there is no way they will all fade. This can happen all over again. Will the suffering plague us all forever?"

"Of course it can. History will repeat itself if left undisturbed until the end of time. But now it falls in all of your hands," Nebula said as Amy handed him the Chaos Key. The golden bonds wrapped around him, but they quickly became brittle and gray. "You can make a difference. The difference I always wanted to make. I lost because somehow, I was wrong. It's your turn now. I place the world in your hands."

"All of that responsibility for just us? We could barely save the world," Knuckles said. "How are we expected to do all of this?"

"The Ivory War may have been the end of the suffering, but the recovery and great renaissance that will follow is only the beginning," Nebula told them. "You all hold the paint brush, and the canvas is only partly done. You can color in the rest, and what happens to it then will be up to you."

"Are you we can't save you?" Amy asked.

"Maybe you could. But my time is done, and without my sacrifice the Harbinger will rage on. I am ready," Nebula told her. "Do you think Xavnu, Chaos, the Gaias, and Argus would forgive me? Ragnarok?"

"I'm sure you will all be forgiven," Knuckles said, holding the Master Emerald. "After all, you're here, saving the world yourself. Giving us all a second chance."

"I think Mach forgives you, and the rest would be foolish not to. Who ever said you couldn't be a god and a hero?" Sonic said, kneeling down by Nebula's side. "You're the God of Rebirth, right? You'll live on in me, and I'll show you all we can do. I'll take on your challenge, and paint this world in a way so the evil and the good are balanced, just like how I defeated you."

"You can change many. I accept your challenge, hedgehog," Nebula said, looking up into the fading orange as the blue of daylight began to emerge. "I can see through your eyes, even if you aren't aware of it. Show me wrong. Prove this world is right for being saved from me and my World's Key Plan."

Minutes passed as the heroes and GUN, alive and dead stood on the island, looking below as the Harbinger screamed out, black and white particles rippling off of its body. The massive World Destroyer unleashed blasts of destructive annihilation in every direction, but before it could do much more, its body continued to deconstruct, unable to truly be stabilized. As the white and black particles floated up through the air, fading through the dimensions, the God of Rebirth smiled for the first time in a long time.

"I don't feel any pain anymore," Nebula said, his body being illuminated by the dispersing particles of light as Sonic looked back at him. "I can see them all waiting for me. The infinite pain is over. I can finally rest."

As he stopped talking, his body faded apart and the Chaos Key shattered, all fading away in particles of light. As that happened, the Harbinger was no more, merely being a cloud of particles the size of a country which slowly began to disappear. The Ivory War was finally over, and all that remained was the peace they all fought so long for. Even as the wounded world laid out below them all, much of it covered in a black and white mist from all of the Harbinger Fragments, or "Ragnarok Beasts" disappearing, they looked out, and knew that it was only the beginning.

"You heard Nebula, the God of Rebirth," Sonic said, turning around and getting to his feet. "This is our world now to protect. Let's paint its canvas with our colors and shades."

As the cobalt hedgehog heard the roar of approval from those on the island, he fell forward into the arms of his love, and the world around him faded into black as he ran out of strength. The future was unpredictable, but promising.

Anyone who had heard of Sonic the Hedgehog knew that was all he needed.

* * *

**2 months later...**

**Location: Central City**

They had all gathered for only a few moments as the burial ground was finally opened where Central City once was. The site was honored as the former center of the heroic world, and now where all of those who died fighting in the Ivory War finally laid. The gravestones stretched out over the grassy valley, broken skyscrapers covering the area surrounding it as the sun began to set overhead. The wind blew through the clothing that the anthros wore, and for a moment there was peace for all who remained behind.

Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, Amy, Tails, Metal Sonic, Gemini, Cream, and Alice all stood around the gravestones of Chaos, the God of Destruction and Nebula, the God of Rebirth at the top of the hill, where one lone tree grew high into the air. First comrades, then friends, then brothers, then bitter enemies, and then hopefully brothers once again in the end. Amy stepped in front of the group, holding a rose in her hand which she laid in between the two gravestones. The pink hedgehog dropped one tear before she walked silently over to Sonic, embracing him.

"We can't forget what happened here, or will will repeat the mistakes that caused all of this suffering," Tails said. "This could be a big lesson to us. So we can move forward. So we can create a future where these things won't ever have to happen."

"My bro is right. It's been two months since the Spring Equinox, and I think we've done good enough," Sonic said, thinking of the new cities and villages that they had helped to build all over the new world. "The future isn't set in stone, but we're looking great."

"Me, Rouge, and Omega took down the Ark," Shadow stated. "It was hard to let that go. But the computers, metals, and inventions Professor Gerald left behind could benefit us all."

"We've been trying to turn the leftover GUN into a military force. But I don't think we need something like that anymore. For now, the heroes are what the people need to follow, to look toward for protection," Rouge added. "For now, we just need to seek everyone out who's alive, and make sure they are in places where there's food and such. Team Dark's gonna lead that effort!"

"At first, I thought all that the Harbinger did was just bad. But even though millions died, we have a chance to start civilization over. To make things right," Metal Sonic added. "the gift of a heart will not be wasted anymore. People have learned to treasure it through their hardships."

"I think that's what Maria would have wanted," Shadow said, nodding at Metal Sonic while Rouge looked in between him and Knuckles, an internal conflict going on within her. But then, her glances settled on Shadow, and she gave a faint smile. "People will have a chance to learn how to be truly happy again."

"Well, that's nice, but that's not what I want, all that destiny crap," Gemini said, holding Alice. Bandages were still wrapped around his chest, showing that he was still recovering from coming back alive. But he was doing much better, his hands wrapped around Alice's expanded belly. "Me and Alice are turning Coastal Valley into a bright, beautiful resort with all of the resources we have. We'll send the refugees over your way, while we use Eggman's old Casino Egg Pawns to run the place, and raise our boy."

"Well, I'm the ruler of the new Angel Island City, and Shade and Tikal are helping me out, so go figure. We also have the emeralds and cores, besides the green one Sonic has. I don't think the world needs any of those for now," Knuckles informed. "It's weird not having all echidnas around, but we all need to unite, I guess. And maybe one day, Metal can help us open the Twilight Cage, and we can take Nocturne out of the Twilight Cage."

"It would be my pleasure. According to what Emerl said, they clearly had learned from their mistakes, especially now that Ix is dead," Metal accepted.

"Me, Luxi, and Vanilla are gonna stay with Team Chaotix in the New Empire City. We'll help out and stuff, and Tails said he'll come with us later and work on inventions to help us!" Cream said excitedly. "I miss Daddy, but I think he would be happy."

"Me and Ames are gonna travel together with Silver, Blaze, and Marine, and really explore what the new world will offer," Sonic told them, him and Amy looking into the other's eyes. "We'll send any people we meet back to you, and take on our own adventures. We promise we'll be back though, so hang tight!"

And with that, Sonic raised the green Chaos Emerald up, using a Chaos Control to teleport through the world while the other heroes began to take their different paths in the new world.

* * *

**Location: Green Hill, South Island**

Sonic and Amy stood at the edge of a cliff bordering the island, looking out over the ocean stretching out ahead of them, with the lifeless void left behind from the Chaos Oblivion in the distance. The mountains and South City stretched out behind them, with the island being one of the places mostly unharmed by the Harbinger despite their closeness to the former Ivory City. Behind them, Silver, Blaze, and Marine prepped the Tempest that Tails had gave them for their journey around the world.

The fox would have many responsibilities in New Empire City, but Sonic knew he would make a great leader of the world that will follow. All those politics and wrapping his head around the world's problems just wasn't his style. The cobalt hedgehog was all up for saving the world, especially since the end of the Ivory War, but in the end he just liked seeing what was out there, embarking on another adventure. That was his style. He didn't care that the world thought of him as a legend, as their savior.

To him, he was just Sonic the Hedgehog, the blue blur, the fastest thing alive, and the last Chosen.

"The Tempest is all ready!" Marine said, whistling at her handiwork. "Tails taught me so much about this stuff! I got to thank my mate sometime!"

"He really is something. I think it is a good idea to leave the world in his hands too. Even if he won't admit it, his experiences with Xi, Metal, and Cyrus really helped him to grow into a leader that fears war," Blaze commended.

"I think you're gonna like this world," Sonic smirked. "I don't know much about the future, but this place rocks now, especially since technology and nature coming together and all. It will make for some cool sight seeing!"

"And we'll finally get to spend some time together," Amy said. "I'm so glad Gemini sent me to you."

"I'm glad he did, too," Sonic said. "I'll be at the Tempest in a minute. Hang tight!"

As Amy walked away, Sonic looked back over the water, having a moment to himself. His life had been so eventful for those seventeen years. Nine years ago, he began his first adventure to fight Dr. Eggman Robotnik. Here, on this very cliff, as he witnessed Eggman take a capsule full of trapped animals from the forest not too far away, it had all began.

Now, it would end in the exact same place.

_The yellow fox would be my choice too,_ Nebula said from within Sonic's mind, the purple markings on the blue hedgehog's face temporarily glowing along with Chip's bracelet. _He is smart and capable. Little will stop his mind from doing great things._

_I said that, too. My bro has so much potential. One day, he could do much more for this world than I ever did!_ Sonic replied.

_Do you plan to uphold our promise? Show me everything you fought for. Prove to me that I saved this world for a good reason, that I left the gift of life in the right hands,_ Nebula requested.

_I never break a promise. I thought you would realize that, since I kicked your ass so hard, _Sonic joked. _I'm gonna show you that you were wrong, that your leap of faith meant something._

_Then go. Your new world is waiting for us,_ Nebula concluded.

Sonic smiled, turning around and launching off in a streak of blue to the entrance of the Tempest.

In a way, that is the end for Sonic and his friends' adventures. But in another way, it is only the beginning.

_Crisis of Ivory: Fin_

A/N: And so, ladies, and gentlemen, that was Crisis of Ivory. This author's note is gigantic, but it is needed.

First off, thanks to the people who reviewed this story at any point in time: Babylon Sky Hawk, Sky Kitsune, Emily Blue Paw, DJ-SlashMusika21, both of the people of Blue Kaous, Kiba Sniper, Myzuno, Mystery002, The Brawler, Sonic Phantom, SupergamerGreg79, ForceWalker, Blank the Nobody, Azure Millennium, ngrey651, iluvme2, blublur, shellay, sonic2009, The Sky Hedgehogian Maestro, sozic, sinister showdown, TheBadCreditTerminator, and many others who are too far down in the review list for me to check.

Also, thanks to those who favorited and alerted me and this story but never reviewed! (You can figure out if that's sarcastic or not.)

My career here in the Sonic archive, which has lasted more than two and a half years is a complicated one. In the beginning, it mimicked the careers of many others who had made many failures, and then written bigger stories over time, and continued down a path of steady progress.

But I think where it all changed was when I won the Fan Fiction of the Year Contest 2008. From then on, I chose to delete all of my stories that I found sub par in comparison, leaving me with only my winning story and a one shot.

From then on, for the next six months, my career became a roller coaster ride of new ideas, ripoffs, epic, generic action series, and such. I was going nowhere, and when I did not win a single category at the 2009 awards, I knew something had to change. These ideas weren't lasting, and I knew something was wrong.

Becoming desperate, I decided to undertake one last project. This project would become either my biggest mistake, or my biggest story. The brainchild of all of my usable ideas coming together into one project was the beginning of the story, entitled Sonic Blitz: Order to Chaos.

The story went strong for only 9 chapters, then I took a huge break where on the inside, I realized that this was going to turn out just like all of my other projects despite the overwhelming success on the level of Sonic the Hedgehog: Series. I dropped all other ideas, and focused on developing this one, even if it killed me.

I developed each other as if it was the last chapter I ever wrote. I developed every character, even if I didn't end up using them in such a way as if they were the ONLY character in the story. I fleshed out every arc, every subplot, every mystery, every villain, every struggle, every plan. On the inside, I'm not even sure if I knew what I was doing, but I continued on this plan anyway, until there was no way I couldn't have inspiration on any part of the designated story.

So, with this new inspiration, I changed the Order of Chaos Project title to Crisis of Ivory, and I continued onward to chapter 10.

And, here we are.

This story, even before this chapter went up, had 670+ reviews. That's more than 11 reviews per chapter, which is almost three times better than my 2008 winner. I'm not sure if the inspiration helped, because I thought my story was just above-par, not the brainchild of genius that it was claimed to be by many.

I was so flattered, that I focused the energy, picked out anything I saw wrong, and continued writing, explaining why chapter 59 looked a hundred times better than chapter 1, or chapter 10 for the matter.

And here we are, at what is the curtain call. I'm not sure if the curtain call will bee received and this will be the last full fledged story you will ever see from me on this site. I'm not sure if I'll ever write the prequel to this story from Mach's perspective on the God War, entitled, The God War (LOL). But in the end, I have this, and this probably be the biggest thing you will see from me on this site.

I will continue to review, and check out your stories, give advice, etc. I may even beta read a bit! I might even start writing The God War if I get enough inspiration like I did for this story to make it all the way through a 30+ chapter one. That may happen, or it may not.

Actually, I'll post a poll about it. And also, I'll PM you all who have accounts about the Fan Fiction of the Year 2010 from Mystery002. If you want to try a hand at submitting, you should now. And once voting start,s I'll let you guys so you can look through this story and many others, and help decide who should win!

But for now, that's all from me. I will retreat to my account and the Sonic Leaders Forum, and leave the rest up to you.

Thank you for all you have given me,

DM


End file.
